The Economic and Financial Crimes Commision (EFCC) is to investigate allegations of financial misappropriation against Mr Pinnick Amaju Melvin, Mallam Shehu Dikko and three other top board members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Newsdiaryonline gathered that EFCC’s action follows a petition it received from a former National team Coach, James Peters on May 4, 2018 with a heading ‘MONUMENTAL STEALING AND FINANCIAL CRIMES IN THE NIGERIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION.
In the petition, Peters who has been a coach of the National teams and also served as Technical Director with the NFF for many years 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).
Peters also alleged “stealing and fraudulent activities by FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES LTD, a company alleged to have been brought into the NFF by 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.”
According to the petition, “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 “.
In a notification letter ref no. EFCC/EC/mos/59/17 written to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports by the Executive Chairman, the EFCC notified the Ministry that it has received a petition from Mr Peters and thereby ‘forward same for investigation and necessary action’.
In the letter, Peters alleged that despite the Federal government’s policy of Treasury Single Account where monies of government Parastatals were lodged for purposes of checking leakages etc, Mr Amaju Pinnick and others obtained the services of FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES COMPANY LTD to keep 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.
