Toothless government may be ready to fight corruption in NFF
Reports suggest the government has begun a major crackdown on several top NFF officials led by former president Amaju Pinnick
If reports by insidetheglasshous.com is anything to go by go the Federal Government of Nigeria which is always barking about fighting corruption in football but has never matched its words with action may soon ready to do so.
According to the online newspaper, the government has begun a major crackdown on several top NFF officials led by former president Amaju Pinnick for alleged corruption by seizing their properties permanently.
This is a farewell gift to Pinnick, who today was succeeded by Ibrahim Gusau as the new NFF President, as he has battled through most of his eight years in charge of Nigeria Football to escape prosecution.
A corruption trial will lead to an immediate 90-day suspension for Pinnick at both the FIFA Council and the CAF Executive Committee.
Anti-corruption agency ICPC has since 2019 been investigating Pinnick, who is also on both the FIFA Council and the CAF Executive Committee, and five other top officials namely Seyi Akinwunmi, Shehu Dikko, Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’ and Mohammed Sanusi.
Shehu Dikko’s Abuja house has now been seized and the same fate has befallen the houses in Minna of newly elected Chairman of Chairmen, Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’.
ICPC maintained that what these officials have far exceeds their earnings amid allegations that Billions of Naira belonging to the football federation could not be accounted for.
In September 2019, ICPC marked 15 properties spread across Nigeria and in England for interim forfeiture as they stepped up investigations.
However, it appeared the investigations were bogged down for some time at the legal department of the ICPC for the agency to charge them to court.
It was alleged that they compromised investigators before the Presidency took a special interest in the matter.
The officials also ran to religious leaders, traditional rulers as well as top Government officials to get them off the hook.
They now have to answer to the various charges against them in court.
Meanwhile, the last 24 hours must rank as the worst ever for former LMC Chairman Shehu Dikko as he lost his Abuja home and several other properties to Federal Government yesterday before he finished a distant third at the NFF Presidential Elections in Benin City today.
Shehu Dikko could only record six votes in the elections after he was widely referred to as the main favourite to replace his close ally Amaju Pinnick as NFF President.
The Election was instead won by Ibrahim Gusau after a run-off.
At the Election venue was a very broken man, he cut the image of a man in very serious trouble.
This was so because on Thursday, his Abuja home was seized by the anti-corruption agency ICPC.
Earlier this month, he ceased to be Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC) after the league organising outfit was scrapped by Government.
www.insideglasshouse.com learnt that the house came under permanent forfeiture Thursday.
“Seized by ICPC” was inscribed on the property.
The ICPC has therefore been granted an order by the court to seize the house.
The house on River Benue Street, Maitama, Abuja, was first sealed three years ago by the same ICPC.
Then ICPC warned the public to keep off the property as it was under investigation.
The agency said then it will seek interim forfeiture of the property as well as 14 others belonging to then NFF President Amaju Pinnick and several other NFF top officials.
ICPC said then that Shehu Dikko and the other officials have lived far above their means.
