By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Dec. 4, 2023 (NAN) Nigeria Football Stakeholders have re-opened corruption cases against suspects of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) misapropriated funds between 2014- 2022.
This is according to a statement by Harrison Jalla, the the Chairman, Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) Task Force and made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
Jalla noted that the cases were re-opened after they were allegedly stalled by former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
"Consequent upon the above, fresh petitions have been lodged with the new Chairman of the ICPC, the current Attorney General of the Federation, the Senate President, the Speaker House of Representatives and the President of the Federal republic of Nigeria Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “A South-South based legal firm has been instructed by football stakeholders to ensure justice is done.
“Nigeria football stakeholders having been satisfied that the ICPC did a thorough investigation which resulted to seizure of suspects properties including public advertorials but was allegedly arm twisted by the former AGF not to proceed with the prosecution of the suspects.
“Stakeholders are determined to bring back the issue of the misappropriated NFF funds to the front burner which includes FIFA grants from 2014-2022, $8.6m 2014 world cup grant, $10m 2018 world cup grant and several streams of FIFA and CAF developmental funds as well as several billions of naira in sponsorship money from corporate Nigeria during the period under review,” he said.
The PFAN Task force Chairman noted that the recent Football developmental strides on infrastructure in Morroco, Algeria, Tunisia Senegal and Ivory coast were all attributed to the frugal application of the funds.
He stressed that stakeholders were deeply concerned about what happened to the Nigerian version of these funds and the benefit to have been derived from such infrastructure for talented Nigerian youths.
He said that there was no alternative to arraignment of the suspects in court, adding that for justice to take its full course criminal matters have no time limit.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
