NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, Others Face $8.4m Fraud Charges

Following an alleged misappropriation of $8.4 million paid by World Football Governing body, FIFA to the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, the Federal Government has charged the President of the NFF, Mr Amaju Pinnick, and four other officers of the federation.

According to reports, the money was paid by FIFA to the NFF as Nigeria’s appearance fees in the group stage of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

The five defendants were also accused of “moving dishonestly and intentionally the sum of about N4bn” belonging to the NFF without the consent of the NFF.

Okoi Obono-Obla who led the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property which instituted the case, also accused the defendants of failure and neglect to declare their assets.

The case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/93/2019, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, contained 17 counts.

The other defendants named in the case are the Secretary of the NFF, Sunusi Mohammed; the first Vice-President of the federation, Seyi Akinwumi; the second Vice-President, Shehu Dikko, and an executive member of the federation, Yusuff Fresh.

The charge, filed by SPIRPP on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, was signed by Dr Celsius Ukpong.

The prosecution accused the defendants of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, theft, criminal misappropriation in respect of their handling of the $8,400 and N4bn belonging to the NFF.

The offences were said to be contrary to and punishable under various provisions of the Penal Code (Cap 105) LFN.

Pinnick and his co-defendants were also accused of failure and neglect to declare their assets to the SPIRPP, contrary to and punishable under section 3(3)(a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act, 2004.

The prosecution specifically accused Pinnick of appointing a company he had interest in, Financial Derivatives Limited, as a financial consultant to the NFF, contrary to Section 5 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

The SPIRPP said he was liable to be punished under sections 1(2) and 10(1)(a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act, 2004.

Dikko was accused of allowing Mediterranean Sports Limited to be appointed as a marketing agent to NFF in violation of the same provision of the same Act.”

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