Alleged $8.4m Fraud: Amaju, Others Must Appear In Court Before Any Decision Can Be Taken - Justice Ijeoma

Alleged $8.4m Fraud: Amaju, Others Must Appear In Court Before Any Decision Can Be Taken - Justice Ijeoma

...case adjourned to November 5

By Akin Akinbobola

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.

President Muhammadu Buhari had dissolved Special Presidential Investigative Panel (SPIP) and the agency was asked to hand over all corrupt cases before it to the office of the Attorney General of Federation (AGF) which they have not done until this morning.

When the case came up for hearing, Justice Ijeoma asked the federation's counsel why the defendants were not in court.

Sanni Katu, NFF counsel's said that the defendants have appeared before EFCC, ICPC and have been arraigned before a court for the same corruption case, he added that they have also appeared before Attorney General, Abubakar Malami and that were the reasons why they failed to appear before the court this morning.

Justice Ijeoma queried further whether Attorney General asked the accused NFF chieftains not to come to court but Sanni Katu said, No. She added that their appearance in other anti-graft agencies was not enough excuse not to appear before the federal high court.

The judge then, said that no decision will be taken unless they appear in court and that they would have been discharged this morning if have they come to court.

She said that the SPIP has not officially handed over to the office of the attorney general which led to a situation where there was no prosecutor to prosecute the case.

Hearing the judge pronouncement, Chikelu Ileoyosi (a close friend to Amaju Pinnick) went outside the court to call Amaju Pinnick and Sanusi Muhammed.

NFF President, Amaju Pinnick and Secretary General, Sanusi Mohammed were seen running to court and when they arrived the 4th floor where the case was heard it was already late as the court process was over. They were seen sweating and panting.

If they have been in court, because the Obla committee have been dissolved and the committee has not properly handed over to the office of the Attorney General the effect would have been that there was no prosecution in court to prospect them. But, in their usual way they were not in court and the matter have now been adjourned to November 5.

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 .4 m and N 4 bn belonging to the NFF .

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu had issued the order of arrest of the four men following their repeated refusal to appear in court to answer to the charges before them.

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 .

Now, the handing over of the case has been concluded before the court this morning and the petitioners have vowed to take the matter to the President Muhammadu Buhari.