An official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Oyetunde Aderibigbe, has petitioned against the order of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami for the SPIP to hand over a case file involving five NFF chieftains, who have been charged to court for alleged corruption.
The office of the Attorney General on May 22, 2019, ordered for SPIP to hand over the case file of the NFF officials before their corruption trial will open on Tuesday, May 28, 2019.
Aderibigbe through his lawyers, Fayenengigha Israel Jacob & Co, alleged there is foul play in the move by the Attorney General to step into this matter even when on May 13, 2019, a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that SPIP can arrest and prosecute the accussed officials.
The official said the move by the Attorney General was done in bad faith.
“It is our client’s belief that the letter of withdrawal of the file from SPIP is done in bad faith,” the petition read in part.
“That one of the accused Dr Muhammad Sanusi has been in the Attorney General office for more than six (6) times in the last two weeks, which has led to the withdrawal letter and that within his knowledge if otherwise proven that there are two other cases taken by DPP from SPIP that had not seen the light of the day i.e a case between FRN V George Ufot Nanta and FRN V Senator Uzordinma, were discontinued by DPP.”
The petition added: “It is believed that if the DPP had withdrawn this file from SPIP similar fate will befall this case, which is not good for this government, a government rooted on the anti-corruption mantra.
“Presently, SPIP is prosecuting 14 cases including but not limited to this matters, a question is – why is the special interest if not on all other 13 cases within the prosecution of SPIP.
“There are insinuations that this is happening to this case because Hon. Attorney General and Minister of Justice (Malami) is a brother to one of the accused and that they are from the same state.”
Aderibigbe has therefore asked that the Attorney General hands off this case to allow SPIP discharge its responsibilities.
He also wants the AGF to allow the court decide on the matter one way or the other.
