Breaking!Federal High Court Issues Bench Warrant Against NFF Top Officials

By Akinade Akinwunmi

The Federal High Court on Monday in Abuja has issued a warrant of arrest on five Nigeria Football Federation top guns, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu having listened to the defense (NFF) counsel who stated that the federation's officials failed to appear today in court because they are among the eleven federal government delegation to Egypt. The court in its wisdom queried further that the counsel should provide the federal government list of the delegates to Egypt.

Confused, NFF lawyer stated that he was not with the list in the court and pleaded to provide it during the subsequent hearing.

Special Presidential Investigative Panel (SPIP) who was with the presidential delegates list to Egypt read it to the hearing of the court.

Then, the judge realised that non of them were part of the delegates to Egypt. Accorsing to the list, the federal government delegation will be led by the Senate President, Senator Lawan Ahmed. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Mr Boss Mustapha , the Executive governors of Lagos and Delta states His Excellencies Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo olu and Dr Ifeanyi Okowa are also on the list. Other delegates on the Federal Government entourage include the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Mr Godwin Emefiele, Engr Habu Gumel, the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Capt. Hosa Wells Okunbo who is one of the Super Eagles’ sponsors, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Mr Olusade Adesola and the Director facilities Arc. Muhammad Gambo.

The court therefore issued a bench warrant against the 5 NFF officials.

The bench warrant according to the court means that the five NFF officials which include, NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, First Vice president, Seyi Akinwunmi, 2nd Vice-president Shehu Dikko, Secretary General Dr Sanusi Mohammed and NFF Board member Ahmed Yusuf Fresh should be arrested anywhere they are seeing from the moment it was issued.

The only way to escape arrest is to present themselves before the court on or before September 26th 2019.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had asked the five Nigeria Football Federal officials to appear before it on July 1st 2019 to clear their names in the N4 billion alleged fraud leveled against them. The Federal Government of Nigeria had dragged the five NFF chieftains to court with an alleged misappropriation of $ 8, 400 said to have been paid by FIFA to the NFF . It was alleged that the money was paid by FIFA to the NFF as Nigeria ’s appearance fees in the group state of the Brazil 2014 World Cup .

The five defendants were also accused of “moving dishonestly and intentionally the sum of about N 4bn ” belonging to the NFF without the consent of the NFF . The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property led by Mr Okoi Obono- Obla , 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, May 7th, contained 17 counts charges.