14th September, 2019
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) has sealed mansions belonging belonging to Amaju Pinnick, President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) located in Park View Estate, Lagos and also the Maitama Abuja mansion of Shehu Dikko, 2nd Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Chairman of League Management Company of Nigeria.
The two football chiefs are under investigation for corruption. The ICPC tweeted about its action on Friday night:
The Commission has also placed a mansion in Maitama, Abuja, belonging to Shehu Dikko, 2nd Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Chairman of League Management Company of Nigeria, under investigation.#DoTheRightThing #IntegrityPays pic.twitter.com/aBqzWOxogJ
— ICPC Nigeria (@ICPC_PE) September 13, 2019
The Commission has also placed a mansion in Maitama, Abuja, belonging to Shehu Dikko, 2nd Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Chairman of League Management Company of Nigeria, under investigation.#DoTheRightThing #IntegrityPays pic.twitter.com/aBqzWOxogJ
— ICPC Nigeria (@ICPC_PE) September 13, 2019
The mansions were sealed by the agency after fresh evidence of corruption against the NFF bigwigs emerged.
“We have fresh information that we are working on at the moment, which involves Shehu Dikko and some other people.
“I cannot give you the details of the information at the moment because we are carrying out due investigation; releasing such details will enable others who we have on the list tighten up and hide some of the documents that will be helpful,” ICPC spokesperson Rasheedat Okoduwa said.
Investigations about NFF finances began in 2016. Both the ICPC and the EFCC had beamed searchlights on allegations about graft over from sponsorship earnings, contract awards, FIFA money and so on.
In May, the The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property charged the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Amaju Pinnick, and four other officers of the federation with an alleged misappropriation of $8,400,000 said to have been paid by FIFA to the NFF.
It was alleged that the money was paid by FIFA to the NFF as Nigeria’s appearance fees in the group state of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.
The five defendants were also accused of “moving dishonestly and intentionally the sum of about N4bn” belonging to the NFF without the consent of the NFF.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/93/2019, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja contained 17 counts.
The other defendants named in the case are the Secretary of the NFF, Sunusi Mohammed; the first Vice-President of the federation, Seyi Akinwumi; the second Vice-President, Shehu Dikko, and an executive member of the federation, Yusuff Fresh.
The case continues on 26 September.