Presidential Panel writes to Immigration to ban Pinnick, others from traveling
... to charge NFF officials to court
Top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) led by its President, Amaju Pinnick are expected to appear in court in Abuja this week for alleged corruption, according to the Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigative Panel on Recovery of Public funds, Okoi Obono-Obla.
First and Second NFF Vice Presidents, Seyi Akinwunmi, Shehu Dikko, NFF secretary general, Mohammed Sanusi, NFF technical committee chairman, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh, Alizor Chuks an NFF staff and Mohammed Cheku have been under investigation for alleged diversion of public funds and conspiracy by the panel.
“We have concluded our investigation and the people (NFF officials) who have been accused will be charged to court. From our investigation we have established what we call a Prima Facie case. So it is now left for the court to determine whether they are guilty.
“They should be charged to court either on Tuesday (January 8, 2019) or Wednesday.
Obla also cleared the air on the travel ban imposed on the officials saying it was now in the hands of the Nigeria Immigration Service to act on the letter from the panel requesting that the affected officials should be banned from traveling.
“We gave some names to the Nigerian Immigration Service in accordance to Nigeria Executive Order No.6 of 2018 that says that anybody who holds public office and is under investigation should be placed under travel ban.”
“We can confirm with authority that the Panel had in a letter to the Nigeria Immigration Service dated 11th December 2018 listed 32 Nigerians to be placed on the travel ban. The list which had two sections had list of important personalities which had 25 persons and the second section had “NFF,” Pinnick’s name on the list was number 26.
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“I am not the Nigeria Immigration Service. There is an agency of the government that is responsible to screen those who travel out of Nigeria or coming in which is the Nigeria Immigration Services. I have done my own work. Ours is to compile names of those who are facing trial or under investigation by the panel and forward names to the NIS which is what the executive order demands,” Obla told Hot FM in Abuja on Monday.