Pinnick Under Probe

There are palpable fear in the country’s football family following President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive for the prosecution of Amaju Pinnick, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), over a litany of corruption allegations leveled against him.

The allegations which also involved funds embezzlement are in billions of naira.

Pinnick would eventually lose his CAF Vice President’s position if he is pronounced guilty in the course of his prosecution.

The order to prosecute Pinnick followed a preliminary investigation report presented to President Buhari by the Presidential investigative panel headed by Mr Okoi Obono-Obla, which had now placed Pinnick on travel ban.

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 top officials of the NFF in charge of finance in connection with an alleged financial scam in the football house.

They include: 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.

There prosecution had to do with financial payments from Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) and Confederation of African Football (CAF), to NFF between 2014 and 2016.

President Buhari who was said to have been visibly angry over the alleged monumental scam immediately ordered Pinnick to also be prosecuted.

The president, who was reportedly shocked by the mind-boggling report and additional revelations, directed Magu to embark on a wider investigation into the remittances to the NFF between 2017 and 2018.

According to the EFCC preliminary report, it was 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.

The breakdown are as follows: 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).

Buhari was also informed in the EFCC report by Magu 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 of Sports and Youth Development Barr. Solomon Dalung, 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 Aug. 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.”