Lobi Star Football Club has released a statement to defend their position in the online circulation of post made by their player Ossy Martins. In the post which he alleged that if anything happened to him the chairman of Lobi Star Football Dr. Nongu Philip should be held responsible.
On their official Facebook page, the club released a statement saying;
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"The attention of the Chairman of Lobi Stars Football Club, Dr. Philip Nongu, has been drawn to a viral social media post attributed to a supposed player of the club, Ossy Martins, calling on the public to hold the Chairman responsible should anything happen to him.
The statement is not only false and malicious but also deeply disappointing. For the records, Martins absconded from the club during the second stanza of the 2024/2025 season without official notice, even though his contract with the club was still valid. His disappearance led to the club declaring him AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave), in line with professional protocols.
It was only much later that he sent an SMS directly to Dr. Nongu, claiming he had left Makurdi due to threats from certain youths, which had nothing to do with football. At no point did he link these alleged threats to the club or its leadership.
This makes his current public outburst even more shocking. Why would a player, who left unprofessionally and for personal reasons unrelated to the club, now attempt to drag the name of the Chairman into an issue he previously claimed was personal and unrelated to football?
Let it be made abundantly clear that Dr. Nongu has no business with Mr. Martins’ private matters and will not tolerate being falsely accused. The Chairman demands an immediate public retraction and apology within 48 hours, failing which legal steps will be taken to seek redress and protect his reputation.
Lobi Stars Football Club remains focused on professionalism, discipline, and the growth of Nigerian football. It will not be distracted by attempts to dent the image of its leadership through baseless blackmail."
Benue Xclusive can recall an incident in July 2021 that involved Ossy Martins, along with fellow Lobi Stars players Ebube Duru and John Lazarus. He was suspended by the club’s management in July 2021 for gross misconduct and insubordination. The allegations centered around the players allegedly feigning injuries to avoid participating in key matches, including the Aiteo Cup round of 16 against Bayelsa United. They were later spotted negotiating contracts with another NPFL club without notifying Lobi Stars, which the management viewed as an act of sabotage.
The suspension was approved by the then club’s Vice Chairman at the time, Emmanuel Tama Aondofa, who emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for indiscipline.
We will update you about the situation as soon as more information from Ossy Martins reach out side.
