The Nigerian Premier League champions Enyimba’s team bus was attacked by armed robbers as the team travelled to Kaduna state in the north west  of the country for pre-season training.

The twice African Champions League winners who sealed their seventh Premier League title last season, were held at gun-point near Okene, in the State of Kogi and ordered to lie down on the floor as the robbers ransacked their belongings including phones, gadgets, passports and cash. Fortunately none of the players were harmed when the criminals open fired at their convoy. One of team’s defenders Ifeanyi Anaemena who was among the travelling party, told BBC World Service’s Sport Today he thought he was going to die when his team’s bus was attacked.

“I almost gave up, I thought I was going to be shot,” said Anaemena.

“They were shooting drastically ,they commanded us to lie down. I was hit with a gun in my head,” added the 23 year-old.

“The trauma, the emotion was bad for me.The robbery lasted for four to five minutes.

“We knew everybody had to surrender because they had guns and were shooting upwards. You never can tell that if anyone fights back they could shoot us.

“They ran into the bush before the policemen came.”

The Super Four pre-season tournament, which also involves Warri Wolves, Nasarawa United and cup winners Akwa United, began on Wednesday.

Anaemena said the Enyimba players still intended to take part.

“We’re pulling ourselves together,” he said. “We can’t say we won’t play because of the trauma we have been through.”

Anaemena urged his club to “improve our welfare” by letting the team fly rather than travel by road.

A club statement said: “The club is in talks with some airlines to form a partnership so that the players can travel by plane to distant match venues.

“Those talks have not been completed, so the players had to travel by road.”

Last year, five players from another Nigerian club – Kano Pillars – were wounded when their bus was attacked by gunmen while the team were on their way to a league game.