Malian Troops Hold Nigerian Footballers Hostage

Players and officials of Sunshine Stars of Akure got the shock of their lives when Malian soldiers stormed their hotel room in Bamako under the guise of searching for rebels.

Some players of the CAF Champions League representatives were said to be so distressed that they immediately started making frantic telephone calls for help after the soldiers left.

Goalkeeper Segun Oluwaniyi described how members of the Malian government armed forces stormed the Hotel Columbus lodging of the Nigerians and searched their rooms.

According to Oluwaniyi, the armed soldiers knocked at the door of his hotel at around 2am local time (3am Nigerian time), leaving him shaken with fear.

“I have never experienced such in my lifetime,” Oluwaniyi said.

“They knocked at around 2am and I asked who was at the door. I was scared but one of the officers who spoke English said they are here because of the situation in the country and just wanted to know who I was.

“They checked the bathroom and wardrobe. I told them we were still in Bamako because we missed our flight because of the situation in the country, then, he asked to know how many we were; and I told him we were 10 that were trapped in the hotel and I told him to go to other rooms to verify that we are not rebels… that we are footballers. After checking they left my room and told me to be calm that I shouldn’t worry.”