Not just the Falcons, fans claimed they were swindled millions of Naira before the Women's World Cup

Whether they are genuine supporters who intended to back the Super Falcons at the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand or Nigerians who intended to Japa, hundreds of Nigerians are alleging NFF swindled them of millions of Naira in the build-up to the World Cup, and they want justice Olukayode Thomas reports.

 Introduction

The ordeals of the Super Falcons Coach Ralph Waldrum and players before and after the Australia/New Zealand FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup generated national and international outcry.

For months and even years, the coaches and the players were owned millions of Naira in salaries and allowances.

Thanks to their uproar, the world condemned the NFF, especially its key officers like president Ibrahim Gusau, Secretary General Sanusi Mohammed, and Amaju Pinnick the immediate past president who accumulated most of the debts.

While the cries of the coaches and players of the Super Falcons are heard near and far and they got global support from all and sundry with FIFA vowing to pay players’ entitlements directly into their accounts for the first time in its history because of the ordeal of the Falcons of Nigeria, there are another class of Nigerians, whose neck the NFF has been standing on since April 2023.

Unlike the Falcons, they could not breathe, and they kept mute because they believed they were flotsam and jetsam of the society, they didn’t even have a voice, and even if they screamed their voice would not be heard, and even if heard faintly, they don’t have anybody to fight their cause,

Most of the people they turned to assist them in their fight against the system are journalists and former players who told them to be patient or let it go.

Japa or Genuine supporters

Call them intending Japa or genuine supporters of the Super Falcons who intend to travel to Australia and New Zealand and cheer Our Girls, about a thousand or more Nigerians alleged they were swindled by officials of the NFF to the tune of millions of Naira.

 The drama began in April 2023 when a group of private Falcon supporters, about 400 of them and another 500 supporters from the four Supporters' Clubs approached Chuks Alizor Head, Marketing/Deputy Director, and NFF to assist them in arranging match tickets for the Super Falcon’s first three matches at the World Cup and also arrange visas.

Alizor who was invited by the officers of Nigeria Police, Force CID, Abuja, where he was interrogated for hours, told the intending Japa pilgrimage or genuine supporters of the Falcons they would pay $120 for the match tickets, and between N320,00 and N500,00 by each of the applicants.

The money will be used to procure the following documents that will ensure they get their visas without stress: Bank statements, police character certificates, travel insurance, flight itinerary, hotel reservation, medical tests, match tickets, and visa fees.

Members of the Supporters Clubs

Intending travellers who are members of any of the four Supporters' Clubs were alleged to have paid Alizor for just match tickets, that is $120, and money for biometrics,

Said one of the men accusing Alizor of fraud, “but those who intended to process their trip through the Supporters Clubs were asked to pay between one million Naira and two million Naira depending on which of the clubs they belong to, their standing or connection, that was why we agreed to work with the NFF and Alizor because it was cheaper”.

Intending travellers also claimed they made several trips to Abuja from their bases, mostly Lagos and the East, while they spent thousands of Naira on hotel accommodation, biometrics, and other sundry expenses.

It was all well between the intending Japas or the genuine supporters and Alizor until a few weeks before the World Cup.

All of a sudden, they claimed Alizor that they would call and he would pick up their calls in the morning, afternoon, night and even midnight started ignoring their calls.

Before anybody could say, Jack, Alizor's number became unreachable and the only time few of them had an opportunity to see him was when they came to collect their passports at the NFF secretariat in Abuja and were told their applications for visas had been refused by the Australian High Commission.

Because majority of them are voiceless, and the ex-players and journalists that they relied on let them down they went home quietly believing God would fight for them.  

Two applicants petitioned EFCC, ICPC, Police, Sports Ministry and PCC

But two applicants while trusting God to also fight their battles have dragged Alizor to EFCC, ICPC, Public Compliant Commission, the Sports Ministry, and the police.

This reporter stumbles on the petition written by their lawyer Odezi Ighomor.

Titled Petition Against Abuse of Public Office, Obtaining Money under False Pretense and Visa Scam by Alizor Chuks, Head Marketing and Sponsorship NFF.

In the petition Ighomor, acting as solicitor to Duke Uche Eseka and Obiako Chris Albert Okechukwu wrote that the duo met Alizor in his office at NFF and they told him they intended to travel to Australia to support the Falcons.

The solicitor claimed in his petition that Alizor gave them the account of Complete Design and Packaging Limited account number 0076780287 with Sterling Bank and Prudent Class Unique Resources Limited account number 4705808016 with FCMB to pay into.

Eseka in the petition claimed he paid N320,00, flew several times from Lagos to Abuja and back, paid a visa fee of $120, paid for biometrics, and others.

 Obiako Chris Okochuukwu claimed he paid on behalf of himself and others the sum of N7,320,000.00, they flew into Abuja several times, paid for hotel accommodation, and incurred several other expenses but the only thing they got was letters of refusal.

That upon careful examination of the refusal letters, the solicitor claimed they discovered that no documents were uploaded or submitted for the applicants.

They alleged they were refused entry visas into Australia because Alizor did not support their applications with the documents he asked them to pay for.

According to their solicitors what Alizor did was tantamount to fraud. They also claimed they didn’t get the match tickets they paid for.

Gusau and Sanusi reaction

Because of the status of the NFF staff involved, and the weight of the allegations and claims by the solicitor, this reporter called Mohammed Sanusi the Secretary General of NFF for his reaction.

When the allegation against Alizor was mentioned Sanusi said, “ Call the Director of Communication, call Ademola Olajire he is in the best position to speak on the issue”.

When this reporter told Sanusi that the matter was beyond Olajire because the word on the street was that Sanusi and his boss Ibrahim Gusau were part of the scam, and that was why they were protecting Alizor, he hung the phone.

Said one of the victims, ‘I strongly believe Gusau and Sanusi were part of the plot, we have reported Alizor to them several times, but they didn’t take any action.’’

When reminded that Gusau is a gentleman who appears trustworthy and that Sanusi who is earning $10,000 monthly won’t jeopardize his career because of petty fraud,

“Oga, what is petty fraud? we are taking about N500,000 from about five hundred people, you call that petty fraud? if they are not part of the scam, why are they protecting Alizor.”

That was a billion-dollar question I could not answer. I later called Gusau, the first time his number was busy, and the second it rang but he didn’t pick up.

Then I sent a WhatsApp message which Gusau replied and said he just returned from a journey and that he wouldn’t be able to talk.

The man at the center of the allegation dismissed the insinuation of fraud. Alizor told this reporter on Tuesday that he applied for the visas, but they were refused. Asked why the applicants had to pay into private companies he couldn’t provide an answer. He could not also answer other questions.

Supporters’ Clubs' reaction

A staunch member of president general Rafiu Ladipo's faction of the Supporters Club who spoke to this reporter on the condition of anonymity on Monday confirmed that supporters had problems with visas to Australia during the World Cup and that all their applications for visas were denied,

“You know we have four Supporters Clubs now, so I won’t confirm or deny if any of the other three Supporters Clubs were charging between N1 million to N2 million. But I can tell you authoritatively that the original Supporter Club which has Ladipo as president general worldwide did not charge anybody a kobo.

“but I will not say it is impossible that people who parade themselves as leaders of Supporter's Club charged people money. If leaders of Supporter's Clubs can pimp for Super Eagles players so, what is it that they can’t do?

He continued” Supporters Club has been an all-comer affair since Pinnick introduced ethnicity into the club by backing a group led by his kinsman, that group later split into more groups and as we speak, we have about four Supporters Clubs so if any of the four is in involved in scam you won’t be able easily identity the one involved.

“But we are the genuine one, and we are not part of any racketeering. In fact, when the High Commission refused us visas, we told the NFF to threaten to pull out of the World Cup just like Ghana threatened before their supporters got visas. If we have skeletons in our cupboard, we won’t be making threats’’. 

Waldrum and the Falcons came out and they have been paid some of their money, and chances that they will get the balance are high because of fear of public outrage by NFF.

 One hopes

other victims of the alleged Australia World Cup visa scam will come so that Nigeria will join them in their cry for justice and if Alizor has nothing to hide as he claimed, he will also come into the open and explain to Nigerians what he actually collected from the victims and how it was spent.

 

PULL QUOTE: Said one of the victims, ‘I strongly believe Gusau and Sanusi were part of the plot, we have reported Alizor to them several times, but they didn’t take any action.’’

PULL QUOTE: All of a sudden, they claimed Alizor that they would call and he would pick up their calls in the morning, afternoon, night and even midnight started ignoring their calls