Fraud: Court Issues Arrest Warrant On NFF President, Pinnick; 4 Other Suspects

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, July 1st, 2019

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick and four other officials of the football body over alleged misappropriation of funds

The warrant order by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu followed the refusal of Pinnick and other suspects to appear in court to answer charges levelled against on financial misconduct.

The co-defendants in the suit ordered to be arrested are: Sunusi Mohammed; the 1st Vice-President, Seyi Akinwumi; the 2nd Vice-President, Shehu Dikko and an Executive member, Yusuff Fresh.

When the case was called Monday, all the defendants like it happened at the previous hearings, were absent from the court, prompting the judge to order their arrest.

The development prompted the prosecution Counsel Celcius Ukpong, to orally apply for their arrest. The prayer was immediately granted.

The Federal Government (FG) had through the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, filed 17 counts, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/93/2019, before the court, in which it accused the NFF officials of alleged misappropriation of $8,400,000 belonging to the football house.

The money was said to have been paid by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association to the NFF as appearance fees in the group stage of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

In addition, the respondents were accused of “moving dishonestly and intentionally the sum of about N4bn” belonging to the NFF without the consent of the NFF.