Nigeria players union president Harrison Jalla has raised questions as to why Shehu Dikko, who has been convicted of contempt of court, is now seeking redress in court over what he claimed are defamatory publications against his person.
Jalla said it is rather ironic that Shehu Dikko, who has been running away from the long arm of the law, is the same person who has now sought refuge in court by reportedly securing an interim injunction to stop further media expose of the corruption at the NFF.
“Shehu Dikko the 2nd Vice President of the NFF and Chairman of the league management Company Was Convicted by a Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos Presided Over by Hon. Justice I.I KUNDA on Friday the 16th Day of September 2016,” Jalla stated.
“I quote “It is hereby ordered that this court is satisfied that the Judgment Creditor/Applicant in the Contempt Proceedings have met all the requirement made under order 9 rule 13 (1) and (2) of the Judgment enforcement Procedure rules.
“The Contemnors Shehu Dikko ( Chairman League Management Company Ltd) and Salihu Abubakar ( Chief Operating Officer League Management Company Ltd) shall be committed to prison at the Jos Federal Prison for dis-obedience to the orders of this court for 14 days in the first instance until they purge themselves of this dis-obedience.”
He further said: “Shehu Dikko is yet to serve this conviction order by a court of competent Jurisdiction.
“We shall as soon as possible be activating the due process to enforce this order. “
Jalla continued: “This same group defied a Supreme Court Judgment in suit NO:SC 731/2016, they are being investigated by all the anti-graft agencies in Nigeria including an ongoing prosecution by the EFCC. But they walk the streets as free men and carry on with their official duties with impunity.”
He also commented on the interim injunction secured by Shehu Dikko to stop the expose by whistleblowers on the ‘Brekete Family’ programme on Human Rights Radio Abuja.
“It is rumoured that this same group have procured another bizarre interim injunction to stop whistleblowers from exposing corruption in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), a public institution funded by tax payers’ money,” he said.
“If it is true, as patriotic and law-abiding citizens we shall comply with the order of court as soon as we are served and proceed to vacate the order, which we are sure the court must have been misled to make.
“It is even curious that we were never put on notice, which we believe was the proper thing for the court to have done.
“This is a battle that will be taken to its logical conclusion within the ambit of the law.”
