NFF $8.4m Fraud: Surrender Yourselves To Court Or Be Arrested, SPIP Counsel Tells Pinnick, 4 Others

By Nurudeen Obalola

Special Presidential Investigative Panel on Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) counsel, Dr Celsius Ukpong advised the five top Nigeria Football Federation officials on whom bench warrant has been issued to submit themselves before the Federal High Court or they will be arrested and forced to appear before it, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

An Abuja Federal High Court on Monday July 1st had issued a bench warrant against NFF 1st vice president, Seyi Akinwunmi, 2nd vice president, Shehu Dikko, Secretary General Sanusi Muhammed, and Ahmed Yusuf Fresh for failure to appear before the court for arraignment after being served court proceedings few weeks earlier.

The court however, understand that NFF president Amaju Pinnick is presently in Egypt as Chairman African Nations Cup Organizing Committee but asked him to appear before or on 26th September 2019 .

Dr Ukpong while speaking with www.bsnsports.com.ng said he was happy with the court decision to issue warrant of arrest against the accused NFF officials.

He advised them to make themselves available in court and stop hide and seek game adding that they will fished out if they fail to do the needful.

"We are happy about the decision of the court granting bench warrant against the defendants. They thought they are above the law but they are not. It is compulsory that people who are served should come to court, if they dont come , it is at their own detriment.

"In the next adjourned date i believe we shall use force to bring them to court. We have 17 count charges against them which is very important. So, they cannot run away, the best thing for them is not to run or do hide and seek.

" The issuance of bench warrant means, that they can be arrested anywhere they are seen unless they surrender themselves willingly to the court jurisdiction. If they surrender themselves to court it better for them, but if they dont, we will get them arrested and bring them to court." he concluded.

SPIP on behalf of Nigeria government dragged the five NFF bigwigs to Federal High Court over mismanagement of $8,400 said to have been paid by FIFA to the Federation.

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.