Assailants on Thursday evening attacked Sunshine Stars’ bus along the Benin-Ore expressway, Ondo State, injuring the football team manager, players and other officials.

The club said in a statement after the attack that the team had left their base in Akure, Ondo State capital, to Benin, Edo State, to honour the weekend’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match against Bendel Insurance.

“It saddens our hearts to inform Nigerians, especially football lovers, that our team was attacked a few minutes ago along Ore-Benin Expressway to honour an Elite League tie against Insurance of Benin, scheduled for this weekend,” the club said.

“Our ball boy was shot in the horrible attack; our team manager and other club officials, including players, are seriously injured,” it added.

In some pictures seen by Peoples Gazette, a team member lay down on a hospital bed with a severe injury to his stomach, apparently from a gunshot. Also, the glasses and body of the team’s bus were shattered with bullets.

The club said the “seriously injured” people were taken to a nearby hospital with the help of the Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officers.

“It took the intervention of officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps that helped rescue the injured officials and the shot individual to a nearby hospital. We hope you join us in prayers,” the club said.

The spokesperson for the Ondo Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, confirmed the attack on the players in an interview.

Ms Odunlami-Omisanya, who could not give details of the attack, said the incident did not occur under her jurisdiction.

Peoples Gazette could not immediately reach the state’s Commissioner for Sports and Youths, Dele Ologun, for comments.

The attack came a few weeks after the vehicle of the football club broke down at night between the border communities of Ondo and Kogi states.

Several Players and fans of the club have repeatedly complained about the rickety condition of the vehicle. They said its condition often exposed them to danger while in transit for matches.