Governing Bodies
WINNING IS THE NAME OF THE GAME AS NFF CHIEFTAINS WIN AGAIN IN COURT
Justice Peter O. Affen, presiding at the FCT High Court, on Thursday finally declined to add the names of President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Melvin Pinnick and the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi to a case of financial misappropriation brought before it by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
In his judgment, Justice Affen refused the amendment sought by the EFCC to include Pinnick and Sanusi to a trial involving three members of staff of the NFF (two of whom are no longer with the federation) with regards to the utilisation of $8.4million grant from world football –governing body, FIFA, and which began in 2018.
It is the second time in few months that a court of law would trash allegations of financial misappropriation against the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation, vindicating their claims that such charges were as a result of envy, malice, victimisation and vendetta.
On 5th November 2019, Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja dismissed in its entirety a 16 –count charge of financial misdeeds (misappropriation of FIFA grant of $84.m in 2014; moving the sum of N4billion from NFF account in November 2018), conflict of interest and non-declaration of assets brought against Pinnick, Sanusi, Seyi Akinwunmi (NFF First Vice President), Shehu Dikko (NFF Second Vice President) and NFF Executive Committee member Yusuf Ahmed Fresh by the now-defunct Special Presidential Investigation Panel, saying the case should not have been brought before her in the first place.
It was made clear that the proof of evidence exculpated the NFF officials, and in addition, the certified true copies of NFF accounts supplied by the Central Bank of Nigeria showed that on the said date (3rd November 2018), no transaction whatsoever took place on the account. It was also established that inflow into the NFF account for the entire year 2018 was less than N700million.
Prior to Thursday’s judgment, precisely on 26th September 2019, the Federal High Court declared that the trial of the NFF officials was political and that the court had no time for politics.
Also in September 2019, the same case at the FCT High Court was put on hold as the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation submitted that it was taking over the case with a view to ascertaining its validity, seeing that same persons were being charged spuriously in different courts and/or investigated by several agencies over the same allegations hewed out of petitions by the same individuals.
At the court sitting of 20th January 2020, the Office of the Attorney General declared that it had no further interest in the case at the FCT High Court, as the one brought before the Federal High Court by the SPIP had been thrown out, and the substance of both cases are similar.
On Thursday, the NFF lawyers argued and prayed through a motion duly served on the Office of the AGF that based on law and constitutional provisions, the NFF officials could not be joined in the matter, having been discharged and acquitted by the Federal High Court on practically the same charges, with the same witnesses and proof of evidence for both cases.
Furthermore, the NFF lawyers argued that the entire charges bordered on use of FIFA funds and on which by relevant laws, only FIFA Ethics Committee has the exclusive right to investigate and adjudicate. In this case, they said, FIFA has not complained to any third party that their funds were missing and/or misappropriated.
Rather, FIFA has continued to relate very well with the NFF and even NFF’s account audited by PwC is published on the FIFA website.
Justice Affen, after listening to the arguments, ruled the trial would continue with the three persons initially charged, and he could not allow the motion to join the NFF chieftains in the matter having been discharged and acquitted on similar charges by a court of concurrent jurisdiction.
This means that chieftains of Nigeria Football Federation are not on trial for corruption anywhere and in any court in the world.
NFF’s counsel, Festus Okpe, gave a summary of the judgment: “This case has been going on since 2018. Initially the EFCC filed corruption charges against some staff of the NFF, which we challenged.
Midway into the trial, they tried to join the leadership of the NFF, namely Amaju Melvin Pinnick and Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, but we opposed that because Mr. Pinnick and Dr. Sanusi were by that time standing trial at the Federal High Court on similar charges.
“This morning, the court delivered ruling and refused the amendment, so as we speak, there is no charge pending against both of them. The trial will continue with the three persons initially charged and we hope to in due course prove the innocence of these persons.”
Governing Bodies
CAF President Dr Motsepe Announces Five Vice Presidents

The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council

Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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Governing Bodies
Ex-FIFA Council member and Mali football chief released from jail

A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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