ICPC has insisted its wide-ranging corruption probe of the NFF will not be stopped by any top government official just as it announced that so far 12 houses belonging to top officials Amaju Pinnick, Shehu Dikko, Mohammed Sanusi and Ahmed Yusuf ‘Fresh’ have been seized by the anti-graft agency.
SCORENigeria first reported that NFF president Pinnick and vice president Shehu Dikko dashed off to the chief of staff of President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, to intervene in the matter.
We have further learnt that both senior officials also ran to sports minister Sunday Dare among other government top shots and they have met a brick wall.
ICPC spokesperson Rasheedat Okoduwa told The Punch the anti-corruption agency is independent of any top government official and so it is carrying on with its massive probe of the NFF.
“If we are continuing with our work, including enforcement action, then I don’t see any influence in that regard,” Okoduwa said.
“If we are going ahead with our work, then there is no credence to the allegation. Our action shows that we are independent in the investigation.”
ICPC listed the 12 houses of the officials it has so far seized because “what they have is in excess of what they have earned”.
Pinnick’s properties seized are a mansion located at 2C Layi Ajayi Bembe Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow located at 3, Oritsejafor Close, GRA, Warri; Brownhill Event Centre located at Plot 6/7 ELF Road, Ogunmu-Warri, Warri Central, Delta State.
Other Pinnick’s properties seized by the anti-graft agency are a bungalow located at First House, 3rdStreet, DDPA Housing Estate, besides Delta Broadcasting Service, Asaba, Delta State; an apartment at Regents Plaza, 8 Greville Road, North Maida Vale, London NW6 5HU, UK; Plot 1805 Cadastral Zone A10 Maitama II, Abuja vide Right of Occupancy dated 15/05/2019 with file no. DT 64003.
The document listed Sanusi’s seized properties as the house beside the Mosque of Alheri School, off Tsafe Road, near Guiwa Low-cost Housing Estate, Sokoto; Plot 8001 Cadastral Zone E08 vide offer letter dated May 15, 2019 with file number KW30584; and a property at 6A, Tangier Street, off Sudan Street, Zone 6, Abuja.
Two seized properties belonging to Yusuf, according to the document, are a bungalow located at First House on Prison Yard Road, off David Mark Road, Minna, Niger State; and another bungalow located at Bosso Estate, behind State Government, Orphanage Home, Minna, Niger State.
“This is the first phase of the investigation. Others may be involved later but I can confirm to you that many officials of the NFF are under investigation,” a source informed.
The agency dismissed allegations it did not get a court order before it made the seizure.
“There are different instances that warrant getting court orders. To seize, our (ICPC) Chairman has the power to do so according to our law,” Okoduwa said.
ICPC also said it did not repaint the houses of both Pinnick and Shehu Dikko following some misleading information on social media.
“Both Dikko and Pinnick’s sealed properties remain seized. If the seals are removed, those that did that are not our officials. We are investigating something about them,” the agency’s spokesperson explained.
