TheCable

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has placed the Lagos residence of Amaju Pinnick, president of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) under investigation.

TheCable understands that officials of the commission placed the house inside Parkview estate in Ikoyi, a highbrow area in Lagos, under investigation because of corruption allegations levelled against Pinnick.

Earlier on Friday, the commission had also placed the Abuja residence of Shehu Dikko, second vice-president of the NFF, under investigation.

Rasheedat Okoduwa, ICPC spokesperson, had told TheCable that Dikko’s residence was under investigation along with some other NFF executives.

A source told TheCable that some top NFF officials are currently on the run over fear of possible arrest.

The source added that the commission is investigating how the officials allegedly converted money meant for the federation to personal use.

Pinnick, Seyi Akinwunmi, first vice-president of NFF, Dikko, Mohammed Sanusi, secretary general of NFF and Yusuf Fresh, a board member, are expected to appear before a federal high court in Abuja on September 26, 2019 over alleged diversion of FIFA grants reportedly running into billions of naira.

While denying corruption allegations levelled against the football body in the past, the officials have always said it is FIFA that reserves the right to probe the allegations.

Last month, TheCable did a report on how the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the recovery of Public Property (SPIP) wrote to CAF on how NFF officials spent millions on an all-expense trip paid for by the continental body.