EFCC trails Maigari, others

Fanny Amun...in Toro's committee

*NFA petitions for investigation

*Toro committee seeks way out of logjam

The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) has taken the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with a petition calling for the investigation over the latter for several offences.

The four-page letter titled: "Demand for investigation into illegal/fraudulent collection of government funds without justification" addressed to the chairman EFCC, the NFA named the eleven-man NFF board led by Aminu Maigari as "suspects" who "conspired amongst themselves with others to commit various financial crimes under the name of NFF using the name of the NFA as a tool in committing the said offences."
The NFF were accused of running an unregistered body in gross violation of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, "had on a monthly basis collected over N158m and presently still collect funds appropriated by the National Assembly to the NFA whilst it illegally holds itself as the NFF."
The NFA averred that contracts were awarded in contravention of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, given that they swore to an affidavit that they are a private organisation.

The NFA further averred that the "NFF has no juristic personality as it is neither registered as a business name, nor a limited liability company, or any type of body with the Corporate Affairs Commission or any other government agencies and cannot operate and conduct banking transactions in Nigeria."
They asked for the investigation of forgery, violation of financial crime laws, freeze illegal bank accounts, recover monies in the six bank accounts and prosecute anyone found wanting in the acts. The matter was filed by a lawyer, Kayode Ajulo & Co, an Abuja-based law firm. Miss Gloria Baiye, acting head of chambers and Adeyinka Adeyefa, counsel, signed the petition.

However, the NSC called former Secretaries General of the NFA led by Alhaji Ahmed Sani Toro, M. A. Kadiri and Fanny Amun to attempt a dialogue between the feuding parties. The committee met with the NFF led by Aminu Maigari, Olaleye Adepoju and Christopher Green. They met behind closed doors. Today, by 2:00pm, they will be meeting with the NFA led by Jarret Tenebe. They are scheduled to meet with Messrs Olusegun Odegbami and Harrison Jalla later

Leave Maigari alone or I go to court - Igbinidu
An ardent football fan and keen observer of the on-going crisis in Nigerian football, Chief Osamuyi Igbinidu, has called on the "dissident NFA members" to leave the Aminu Maigari NFF board alone or face legal suit.

Igbinidu...leave Maigari alone

Speaking in Abuja yesterday night, the young chief, an Abuja-based businessman said, "I worked for Jarret Tenebe at the last two attempts to enter the board, he introduced me to Maigari. Maigari is a good man"
Asked why he is against the NFA, he said, "the truth is, they can't come from nowhere to hijack the football management. They should wait for the next election."

He said, "I have watched events with care. I have not spoken to the two gladiators. I believe Maigari and his team do not deserve these distractions."

I will be briefing my lawyers by tomorrow (Wednesday) to go and challenge the illegality being perpetrated by the NFA. Please tell them to leave Maigari alone. Democracy should be allowed to prevail fully in this matter."

Pressure on Musa Amadu to resign

* blamed for the NFF troubles

If reports reaching me are anything to go with, there has been a heavy bashing of the acting Secretary General of the NFF, Mr. Musa Amadu, for swearing to the affidavit that has become the albatross of the board in the on-going crisis.

According to our inside sources, members of the Alhaji Aminu Maigari board had variously fingered Amadu for the banana slip which has caused the "technical death" of the board as held by the NFA.

At a point, Amadu got so angry that he contemplated resigning his appointment. He had been frustrated. No one saw reason with him. He was roundly condemned for the affidavit."
Our source who sits on the board lamented, "we were trapped in a well planned combo of well orchestrated intellectual design by the NFA. They got us. On all issues, we had no defence."

To another member who confessed in a telephone chat with another stakeholder in the game, he said, "the NSC initiated congress which we bungled has made us to look in the eyes of Nigerians as people who hate peace. We were undone."

He added, "the outcome of the meeting with M. A. Kadiri, Sani Toro and Fanny Amun was not palatable. They pointedly advised us to go and resign. Guy, we have been sent out of football with deft moves perfected before it was launched. Those chaps were smart."