President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the prosecution of the President
of the Nigerian Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, over an alleged
multi-billion scam in the organisation.
It was also learnt that
the Federal Government through the Presidential investigative panel
headed by Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, had placed Pinnick on travel ban.
Our
correspondent gathered on Saturday that Buhari gave the order for
Pinnick’s prosecution when the Obono-Obla presented a preliminary
investigation report to him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission also addressed a report on the NFF to Mr President detailing
the outcome of their investigations which tallied with what Obono-Obla’s
panel had submitted to the President.
EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim
Magu had in his six-page report informed Buhari that the anti-graft
agency had investigated and prosecuted the Director, Finance and
Administration, Christopher Andekin; Head, Finance and Administration,
NFF, Jafaru Mamzah and a cashier with the Finance and Administration
department of the NFF, Rajan Zaka over an alleged financial scam in the
football governing house in connection
with financial payments from
Federation of International Football Associations and Confederation of
African Football to NFF between 2014 and 2016.
But Buhari who was
said to have been visibly angry over the alleged monumental scam
ordered Pinnick to also be prosecuted. He directed Magu to embark on a
wider investigation into the remittances to the
NFF between 2017 and 2018.
The
president, who was reportedly shocked by the mind-boggling report and
additional revelations directed Magu to ensure a comprehensive and
discreet investigation with watertight and unassailable facts and
pieces of evidence that would nail the suspects at the court.
According
to the EFCC preliminary report sighted by our correspondent, EFCC
stated that it commenced full investigation into the finances of the NFF
where it discovered that the domiciliary accounts of the NFF domiciled
with Zenith Bank and UBA had received total inflow of $16,417,761 from
FIFA and CAF between January, 2014 and June, 2016 as follows:
1.
18/12/2014 Zenith Bank, Ac No: 5070407456, $8,400,000 (FIFA);
23/01/2015, Zenith Bank, Ac No: 5070407456, $450,000 (FIFA); 25/03/2015,
Zenith Bank, Ac No: 5070407456, $1,081,000 (CAF); 13/10/2015 Zenith
Bank, Ac No: 5070407456, $3000 (CAF); 12/01/2014, UBA, Ac No:
3000004944, $1,500,000 (FIFA); 15/01/2014 UBA, Ac No: 3000004944,
$1,746,745 (CAF); 19/03/2014 UBA, Ac No: 3000004944, $249,950 (CAF);
12/12/2014 UBA, Ac No: 3000004944, $301,467 (FIFA);14/05/2015 UBA, Ac
No: 3000004944, $30,000 (FIFA); 31/07/2015 UBA, Ac
No: 3000004944,
$315,149 (FIFA); 14/08/2015, UBA, Ac No: 3000004944, $399,000 (FIFA);
11/09/2015 UBA, Ac No: 3000004944, $300,000 (FIFA); 16/10/2015, UBA, Ac
No: 3000004944, $850,149 (FIFA); 18/11/2015, UBA,
Ac No: 3000004944,
$2,990 (CAF); 12/02/2016, UBA, Ac No: 3000004944, $79,540 (FIFA);
15/03/2016, UBA, Ac No: 3000004944, $299,000, (CAF); 22/06/2016 UBA, Ac
No: 3000004944, $9,930 (CAF).
Magu in the report also informed
Buhari that investigation into the case had been concluded. He added
that Christopher Andekin; Head, Finance and Administration, NFF, Jafaru
Mamzah and a cashier with the Finance and Administration department of
NFF, Rajan Zaka were indicted and arraigned on October 15, 2018 before
Justice P.O. Affem of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, No 19
Maitama Abuja on five criminal charges of conspiracy and criminal breach
of trust by a public officer.
The EFCC’s boss further informed
Buhari that the commission also received another petition dated April
24, 2016 captioned ‘Monumental stealing and financial crisis in the
Nigeria Football Federation’, from James Peters of Amal Pepple Estate,
Abuja.
He stated that in the course of investigation, the
Minister (Sports) forwarded to the commission, documents in support of
the petition revealing sponsorship deals amounting to N1.14bn and $1.55m
via his letter No. HMY &SP/003/2018/55 dates August 7, 2018.
Magu
said, “Investigation into this petition has so far established that the
NFF has sponsorship deals with 21 corporate organisation. The
investigation further revealed that between 2008 and 2018, 11 out of the
21 corporate organisations made sponsorship payment of N5,288,990,000
and $1,550,000 to NFF as against the amounted stated in the ministers’
letter under reference above.
“One of the companies appointed as
financial consultant to the NFF is owned by the 2nd Vice President of
the NFF in person of Alhaji Shehu Dikko. The audit trail of the funds
and its utilisation is currently ongoing with a view to prosecuting
anyone found culpable of any offence.”
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