Alleged $8.4m

Bench Warrant: If Amaju Others Appear In Court, They Would Be Discharged - Federal High Court

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday pronounced that Amaju Pinnick and four other Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, officials must appear before it before any decision can be taken, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had issued a warrant of arrest against four officials of the Nigeria Football Federation .

The four are NFF President , Amaju Pinnick's co-defendants in a fraud case involving alleged misappropriation of the sums of $8.4m and N4bn belonging to the NFF .

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu issued the order of arrest of the four men following their repeated refusal to appear in court to answer to the charges said that they would have been discharged if they were in the court because there is no prosecutor against them in court.

President Muhammad Buhari dissolved Special Presidential Investigative Panel (SPIP) and ordered that the corrupt cases before it should be handed over to the office of the Attorney General of Federation (AGF).

When the case came up for hearing, Justice Ijeoma asked the accused persons federation officials were not in court.
Sanni Katu, NFF counsel's excuse was that they have appear before EFCC, ICPC and have been arraigned before a court for the same corruption case, he added that they have appeared before Attorney General, Abubakar Malami.

Ijeoma asked whether Abubakar Malami asked them to Disney court order, Katu said he didn't. She queried further that there are procedure that is in line with the constitution which does not any way stop them from appearing in court today.

She however, ruled that they should appear before the Federal High Court on 5th November, 2019.

Those affected by the order of the court are the NFF Secretary, Sanusi Mohammed; the 1 st Vice -President , Seyi Akinwumi ; the 2 nd Vice -President , Shehu Dikko and an Executive member , Yusuff Fresh .