An Abuja Chief Magistrate District Court 11, held at Wuse Zone 2, has annulled its previous arrest warrant, issued to the Special Presidential Investigative Panel (SPIP), headed by Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, against the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick and four others.
According to the directive, the NFF President, alongside his two vices, Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko; a board member, Ahmed Yusuf; and Dr Sanusi Mohammed, the board’s general secretary, were all to be remanded in custody, pending a trial or a resolution.
However, the NFF vetoed the arrest warrant on the basis of its procurement, stating that it was beyond the legal authority accorded to the SPIP.
Muhammed Sani Katu, the NFF’s counsel, opposed the ruling of the court on the application marked MN/04/2019.
Having examined the matter carefully, the court ruled that there was no premise for an arrest warrant against the NFF officials under the law.
In his reaction to the court’s ruling, Katu said that notwithstanding the deserved outcome of the case, the NFF has instructed that he pursue a separate suit with no. FC/ABJ/CS/17/2019, pending at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against Chief Obono-Obla and the SPIP. The grounds of the suit is on the infringement of the NFF official’s rights under the law and acting contrary to the enabling law governing the SPIP.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, our clients reiterate most categorically that there are no charges against them existing anywhere, as they have not committed any crime under the law, whatsoever.
“They maintain that this whole lamentable matter is nothing more than the machination of some persons who are averse to competing fairly for the leadership of NFF but desperately wish to be foisted on the federation by external forces who are apparently misled. Our clients are, therefore, confident that this conspiracy will surely be defeated in time.” — Muhammed Sani Katu
The counsel went on to thank the sponsors, partners, and stakeholders of the NFF, for their continued support and trust in the ruling body, adding that the NFF’s actions will remain translucent, and orderly, in correspondence with global standards.
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