‘$8.4m fraud’: Court orders arrest of Pinnick

A federal high court in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Ijeoma Ojukwu, the presiding judge, also ordered the arrest of four officials of the federation. They are Seyi Akinwunmi, first vice-president of the federation;  Shehu Dikko, second vice-president, Sunusi Mohammed, secretary; and Yusuff Fresh, an executive member of NFF.

The judge gave the order when the case was called on Monday and the NFF officials were absent.

The federal government had filed a 17-count charge against the NFF officials through the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property.

The officials were accused of misappropriating $8.4 million belonging to the organisation.

The money was said to have been paid by FIFA to the NFF as appearance fees in the group stage of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

The defendants were accused of setting aside N4 billion out of the money without the consent of the NFF.

At the court on Monday, Celcius Ukpong, counsel to the federal government, applied for their arrest and the judge granted his request.