Tragedy in Calabar: Arsenal Fan Dies During Champions League Match

An Inspector with the Nigerian Police, Stephen Enang, tragically died on Tuesday night while watching the Champions League quarter-final clash between Arsenal and Real Madrid at a football viewing center in Calabar, Cross River State.

The late Enang, described as a diehard Arsenal supporter, was until his death attached to the Akim Police Division along IBB Way in Calabar. He was a regular at the popular football viewing center located on Abang-Asang Street in Calabar Municipality, where the incident occurred.

Witnesses said the police officer was in high spirits throughout the game and had shown no signs of illness prior to the match.

According to a friend who spoke on condition of anonymity, Enang was actively engaged in the match, cheering loudly when Arsenal scored their goals.

“Before the match, he was hail and hearty, there was no issue whatsoever that we know of, because he is a very quiet and soft spoken guy, who loves football, and a diehard Arsenal fan,” the friend recalled.

“He is an Inspector of Police also with Akim Police Division. We were all watching the game. His team scored the first goal, and he was so excited—same with the second and third goals.

“He jumped up in jubilation to each of these goals; we didn’t know that as he sat back in his chair waiting for the final whistle, Stephen was gone.

“We only discovered that he was not moving after the game, when everyone was leaving the viewing center, and he didn’t stand up like the others.

“That was when we discovered he was no longer conscious. He was rushed to the Police hospital at Akim, where the health professionals did everything they could to revive him, but all their efforts proved abortive, as he was confirmed dead.”

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, SP Irene Ugbo, for comments were unsuccessful. Calls to her mobile phone went unanswered, and messages sent to her were not replied to as of the time of filing this report.