SCORENigeria can exclusively reveal that in April 2020 financial consultants of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) paid a total of $320,015 (about 147 million Naira) to Mediterranean Sports Limited, whose ownership has since been traced to NFF vice-president Shehu Dikko.
This payment has again raised more vexed questions about the proper management of funds by the NFF.
Investigations revealed that Coca-Cola Bottling Company paid its 2020 sponsorship fee – $800,000 – to the NFF through their financial consultants, Financial Derivatives Company Limited FCMB account number 0605712017.
From this payment, Financial Derivatives wired into the account of Mediterranean Sports Limited a total of $320,015 in two tranches.
The payments were done in two tranches – $160,000 on April 9, 2020 and $160,015 on April 21, 2020.
If the first payment was the 20% agency commission to Mediterranean Sports Limited as has always been claimed by senior officials, what was the second payment for in view of the fact that the sponsorship fee was to service the activities of the national teams and considering the fact also that there has not been any international football because of the Coronavirus Pandemic?
It must also be noted that on September 14, 2018, Mediterranean Sports Limited received a payment of $160,015 from Financial Derivatives being the 20% agency commission for the Coca-Cola sponsorship fee.
Independent investigations by the National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) have already revealed that Mediterranean Sports Limited owned by Shehu Dikko is alleged to be a conduit pipe to siphon many millions of Naira belonging to the NFF aided by NFF president Amaju Pinnick.
One-time bitter rivals, Pinnick and Shehu Dikko are now firmly bonded by the financial sleaze that has brought Nigeria football to its knees.
