Staff members of the Nigeria Football Federation on Friday stood stoically against an attempt by Chris Giwa and members of his group to take over the offices of the football ruling body.
According to a statement by NFF spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, Giwa and his group, who continue to claim they have a ‘court order’ to take over the NFF, had arrived in a convoy of cars at the period that some of the members of Staff around had gone for the Friday Jumat service. They drove into the premises around 2pm.
“In their typical ‘steal in’ manner, Chris Giwa led Effiong Johnson, Sani Fema, Rumson Baribote, Ben Agary, Yahaya Adama, Jide Fashikun, Fatai Olayinka, Abdulazeez Mohammed and a number of thugs to the Glass House when only a couple of Management Staff were around.
“Also typical of the group and the way they operate, they came 24 hours after a peace meeting by the Sports Committee of the House of Representatives, at which the House Committee members met with NFF President Amaju Pinnick and Giwa, and announced to the world that they were close to reaching a resolution of the ‘crisis’.
“They met the entrance door locked, and fiercely broke it down with accompanying thugs. The group swept into the office, and with the unruly cohorts, started to harass members of Staff.
“Dr. Christian Emeruwa, the National Security Officer and special assistant to the NFF General Secretary, was pushed by one of the thugs. Staff members in the administration department were shoved around. Tunde Aderibigbe, NFF’s coordinator of political matters and Ademola Olajire, head of communications, were punched by one of the thugs, and they responded in like manner.
“It was at this stage that members of Staff decided that enough was enough. Bola Oyeyode (director of competitions), Olajire, Aderibigbe, Emeruwa and other staff joined hands and repelled the group.
“With the assistance of policemen, Giwa and group were dislodged from the Glass House,” he stated.
Earlier in the day, the group had sent a cohort to the NFF office with an unsigned, undated and thoroughly suspicious ‘writ of execution.’ NFF chieftains insisted on Friday that the details of the accountant who brought the fraudulent ‘writ of execution’ to the Glass House will on Monday be handed over to the police for investigation.
It would be recalled that after the interim order of the court on 8th April, the Court Registrar, Mr. Nasiru Gusau and later, the Hon. Judge himself had clarified that there was no order for Chris Giwa and group to take over the NFF, and that the order granted was actually that given by Hon. Judge Allagoa on 30th October 2014, which dismissed the case and said it ceased to have any life. The court however re-listed the case for hearing, which the NFF has appealed against.
It can be recalled that Giwa, Johnson, Adama, Fema and Muazu Suleyman have been slammed with a five –year ban by the NFF, which the Confederation of African Football (CAF) extended to the continent on 26th May 2016.
