By Harry Awurumibe, ABUJA
A Federal High Court seating in Abuja today (Tuesday) discharged and acquitted the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick; his 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi AKinwunmi; 2nd Vice President, Shehu Dikko; General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi and an Executive Board Member, Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf- Fresh over alleged $8.4 Million and N4 Billion fraud case.
Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) which was recently disbanded by the Federal Government and its ex-Chairman, Okoi Obono-Obla, facing investigation himself had charged them with alleged misappropriation of the said huge amount of funds belonging to the NFF.
The allegations were not proved by SPIP but the defunct agency resorted to media trials of the leadership of the NFF and went a set further by trying many times to arrest the officials on the mere allegations.
But on Tuesday the Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu discharged and acquitted all the accused NFF officials.
According to NFF Counsel, Barrister Mohammed Sani Katu who spoke immediately after the case was thrown out, “the proof of evidence leveled against them (by Obono-Obla led SPIP) cannot stand the charges’.
Said he, “The matter was adjourned till today (Tuesday) for the thought of investigation as to whether the Defendants (NFF Officials) should be arraigned or not by the Attorney General (of the Federation) who has taken over the matter. The Attorney General went and investigated the report of the investigation and discovered the proof of evidence cannot stand the charges. On that basis the Attorney General applied to withdraw the charges and the consequences is that the defendants should be acquitted and discharge from all 16 charges.”
Present in the court today to witness the proceedings are the aforementioned Defendants ( the NFF official) while the purported petitioners were also in the court.
