20101021
africanews

A Nigerian fan has been killed after clashes ensued following the victory of English champions Chelsea over Spartak Moscow Tuesday in the Champions League. The Punch quotes a report by the News Agency of Nigeria that the fan was killed in Gokana, Rivers state in the Niger Delta region.

The Rivers State Police Command, which confirmed the death on Wednesday, also said that some houses were burnt in the area where the incident occurred.

Police spokeswoman Rita Abbey said that youths from B-Dere and K-Dere communities of Gokana clashed while watching the match.

She said the youths disagreed on the 2-0 outcome of the match in favour of Chelsea. Abbey said the two communities had in the past clashed over a piece of land and that the outcome of the UEFA Champions League match escalated the crisis.

“Existing mobile police presence in the area has been reinforced to bring the crisis under control” Abbey said. One person was killed and the police had arrested five.

“Ten police vehicles with mobile policemen have also been deployed to the communities on Wednesday morning.”

She said an investigation into the cause of the clash had commenced.

A huge number of Nigerians keenly follow European football. Six persons lost their lives in Ahoada Local Government of Rivers in 2009 when Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League.

A bus driver who was a supporter of the losing Manchester United, rammed his vehicle into a group of Barcelona fans celebrating the 2-0 win, killing six.