EFCC Begins Investigation Of Pinnick, Dikko And Others

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is to investigate and take necessary action against Amaju Pinnick, Mallam Shehu Dikko and three other top board members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    This follows a petition it received from a former national team coach, James Peters on May 4, 2018 with a heading: ‘MONUMENTAL STEALING AND FINANCIAL CRIMES IN THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION’ received by the Executive Chairman of EFCC on May 4, 2018.

    In the petition, Peters who coached national teams and led them to notable victories and also served as Technical Director of the NFF for many years urged the EFCC to carry out a thorough investigation on an alleged “unprecedented stealing, corrupt practices and financial crimes being perpetrated by the current President Amaju Pinnick, the General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi, the first Vice President Barrister Seyi Akinwumi, the second Vice President Mallam Shehu Dikko and a member of the Executive Committee Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf (a.k.a Fresh). The former Technical Director also alleged “stealing and fraudulent activities by Financial Derivatives Limited, a company cunningly brought into the NFF by Pinnick for the sole purpose of saving money outside the official accounts of the NFF in the Central Bank and diverting same for fraudulent activities.”

  Similarly, the petition stated that “these NFF chieftains have also used the company Mediterranean Sports Limited belonging to Dikko, who is also the Chairman of the League Management Company, a body saddled with the responsibility of running the Elite league, and attracts millions of dollars from sponsorships and Chairman, Marketing and Sponsorship sub-committee of the NFF to collect over 40 per cent of revenues from the numerous sponsors of the NFF “. In a notification letter ref no. EFCC/EC/mos/59/17 written to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports by the Executive Chairman, the EFCC notified the Ministry that it has received a petition from Peters and thereby ‘forward same for investigation and necessary action.

   The petitioner also alleged that despite the Federal Government’s policy of Treasury Single Account (TSA) where monies of parastatals are lodged for purposes of checking leakages etcetera, Pinnick and others obtained the services of Financial Derivatives Company Limited to warehouse revenue accruing to the NFF from well-spirited individuals and corporate organisations which never got to the NFF. He alleged too that funds made available by corporate sponsors were never disclosed. Peters called for a forensic audit to be carried out to look at all approvals and retirements by the mentioned persons.

The Nation