The NFF insist that no arrest warrant has been issued for their top officials and question the legality of the case against them.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have denied reports that the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest of their president Amaju Pinnick and other top officials of the football body.
Several reports had it that Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued the order of arrest of Pinnick, NFF’s first Vice-President Seyi Akinwumi, second Vice-president Shehu Dikko, General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi and an executive member Yusuff Fresh.
According to the reports, the order was given following the absence of the defendant in court for a case of alleged misappropriation of N3b ($8.4m) filed by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP).
The NFF however in their statement have denied the report claiming instead that the case has been adjourned.
The NFF in their statement did confirm that a conditional bench warrant was issued by Justice Ojukwu but claimed that it was no longer in effect after the federation’s lawyer showed evidence that the defendants were absent in court because they were in Egypt for the ongoing 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
“The NFF has also clarified that there is no bench warrant issued against NFF President, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick as being wrongly peddled in a section of the media,” part of NFF’s statement read.
The NFF have also continued to maintain that the prosecution of their top officials at the Federal High Court is illegal after the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation had directed the SPIP to submit their files for review.
