Vacation Order Does Not Stop The Indicted NFF Officials From Getting Arrested - Okoi Obono-Obla

....Even if the warrant is vacated, it does not exonerate them from being arraigned in court - Obono-Obla

By Niyi Busari

The Chief Okoi Obono-Obla-led Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property has reassured Nigerians that his panel will not be distracted by vacation order to stop investigation on five NFF officials over alleged mass corruption in the country’s football body.

This is coming against the backdrop of recent report that the indicted NFF officials have gotten an order vacating the warrant of arrest on them .

According to the Chairman of the Panel , Okoi Obla, said: "Even if the warrant is vacated, it does not exonerate them from being arraigned in court, Obono-Obla told www.bsnsports.com.ng.

“The position of the law is that you cannot use an injuction or a court process to restrain or stop a body created by law from carrying out its statutory responsibilities’”

The Chairman also stressed that the Vacation Order does not also stop the indicted NFF Officials from getting arrested by the Panel.

Obla who made it clear that he will not engage in any press war with anybody, opined that the mandate of his panel is very clear and they are focus on , among other things to continue to investigate and recover Public assets misappropriated by fraudulent individuals.

“The panel’s personnel are drawn from the law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, including officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force who are statutorily vested with the power to arrest when and where necessary.” Okoi concluded.

The Special Presidential Investigative Panel had last week visited the Glasshouse to arrest the five top NFF officials which include; NFF president, Amaju Pinnick, 1st Vice-president, Seyi Akinwunmi, 2nd Vice President, Shehu Dikko, Secretary-General, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed and Ahmed Yusuf Fresh but they were not in office.

The panel officials were at the Glasshouse with arrest warrant of the five NFF officials for failure to honour invitation to clear their names before the panel.