N1.5bn NFF fraud: Ex-President Sani Lulu compelled to face trial [DETAILS]

Justice E. S. Chukwu of a Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has dismissed what he described as a ‘no-case-submission’ filed by a former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Sani Lulu, in the corruption charge against him and three others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren on Tuesday, disclosed that others involved in the case are former first vice president of NFF, Amanze Uchegbulam; former executive committee member, Taiwo Ogunjobi; and NFF former secretary-general, Bolaji Ojo-Oba.

The trio were arraigned on September 6, 2010, for allegedly misappropriating over N1.5 billion released by the federal government to the NFF, without giving explicit details on how the money was spent during the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

“They were explicitly accused of siphoning about $125,000 through shoddy hotel bookings in South Africa during the 2010 World Cup, $250,000 lost as a result of booking the wrong airline for the trip, $400,000 allegedly expended on the Nigeria/Colombia friendly match and $236, 000 which vanished from the coffers of the Glass House in 2009.”

“Lulu and his co-accused, among other things, were also accused of flouting due process in the purchase of two Marcopolo buses for the national teams, as well as sharing of N185 million amongst state chairmen of the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) in their futile bid to frustrate their ouster from the football house.”

“The accused persons have since their arraignment employed all means known to law to frustrate their trial as they jointly filed a ‘no case submission’ through their lawyers, but was strongly opposed by counsel to EFCC, Titus O. Ashaolu (SAN).”

“The NFF statue is not an Act of the National Assembly but it must be subject to the laws of Nigeria. This is particularly in a case where the money being expended is tax payers’ money and not one of a limited liability company.”

“The provision of Section 60 of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) covers NFF and having said that, it followed that all the defendants are bound by the provision of the PPA.” The case has been adjourned to March 9, 2016 for the accused persons to open their defence.”

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