NPFL Referee Dies During Pre-Season Fitness Test In Abuja…

The Nigeria Football Referees’ Association (NFRA) has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of Plateau State-based Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) referee, Solomon Maram.

Maram reportedly died on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, after collapsing during a pre-season fitness test for match officials in Abuja.

The referee was among officials participating in Batch A of the pre-season training programme organised by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Referees Committee ahead of the 2026/27 football season.

The programme is being held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, as part of preparations for the selection and assessment of referees for the NPFL and other national competitions.

Maram had reportedly completed the mandatory medical screening and was cleared to participate in the physical fitness assessment.

However, while taking part in the second group of Batch A, he reportedly collapsed close to the finishing point of the race.

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A standby medical team immediately attended to him, administering emergency treatment, including oxygen and other resuscitative measures, before he was evacuated by ambulance to the National Hospital, Abuja.

He was later confirmed dead at the hospital.

Acting NFRA President, Sir Kelechi Mejuobi, described Maram’s death as a devastating loss to the Nigerian refereeing community, mourning him as a “rare gem” and one of the finest officials in the country’s elite refereeing cadre.

Mejuobi said medical personnel at both the stadium and the National Hospital made concerted efforts to save the referee’s life.

He stressed that the NFF Referees Committee and the NFRA attach great importance to the health and safety of match officials, particularly during fitness assessments and other official programmes.

The NFRA president expressed condolences to Maram’s family, the Plateau State Referees’ Council and the wider football community in Plateau State and across Nigeria.

The circumstances surrounding the referee’s sudden death have cast a sombre mood over the ongoing pre-season preparations as football authorities and the refereeing fraternity mourn one of their own.