The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been directed to investigate and take necessary action against Mr Pinnick Amaju Melvin, Mallam Shehu Dikko and three other top board members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
A statement by Nneka, the Media Aide to the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, said the probe was sequel to a petition the anti-graft agency received from a former Super Eagles’ Coach, James Peters.
DAILY POST reports that the petition was dated May 4, 2018 and titled: ‘MONUMENTAL STEALING AND FINANCIAL CRIMES IN THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION’.
In the petition, Peters, who coached National teams and led them to notable victories, 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 Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick, the General Secretary Dr Mohammed Sanusi, the 1st Vice President Barrister Seyi Akinwumi, the 2nd Vice President Mallam Shehu Dikko and a member of the Executive Committee Alhaji Ahmed Yusuf (AKA Fresh).”
The former Technical Director also alleged of “stealing and fraudulent activities by FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES LTD, a company cunningly brought into the NFF by President Amaju Pinnick for the sole purpose of warehousing 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 Mallam Shehu Dikko who is the 2nd Vice President of the Executive Committee, 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% of revenues from the numerous sponsors of the NFF.”
The petitioner in the letter, alleged that despite the Federal government’s policy of Treasury Single Account where monies of government Parastatals are lodged for purposes of checking leakages etc, Mr Amaju Pinnick and others obtained the services of FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES COMPANY LTD to warehouse revenue accruing to the NFF from well spirited individuals and Corporate organizations which never got to the NFF.
He further alleged that funds made available by corporate sponsors were never disclosed.
Mr Peters called for a Forensic audit to be carried out to look at all approvals and retirements by the mentioned persons.
In a notification letter with ref no. EFCC/EC/mos/59/17, and written to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports by the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, the anti-graft agency notified the Ministry that it had received a petition from Mr Peters.
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