A Federal Capital Territory High Court has fixed October 18 for the arraignment of a Director in the Nigeria Football Federation, Christopher Andekin, and two other officials who were accused of perpetrating fraud to the tune of $9.5m (N3.4bn).
The EFCC said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, that Andekin, who is the Director of Finance, as well as the cashier, Rajan Zaka, and the Head, Finance and Accounts, Jafaru Mamza, were supposed to have been arraigned on Monday on five counts of fraud.
However, the arraignment could not hold because their counsel said he had just been served with the charge sheet and therefore asked for more time to study the charges.
The trio in 2015 allegedly diverted money to the tune of $9,535,923.87 belonging to the federation to personal use. The money was a grant given by the Federation of International Football Association, for the development of football in Nigeria.
It is also alleged that Andekin fraudulently diverted N1, 353,407.22 from the domiciliary account of the NFF domiciled in one of the new generation banks, without due process.
Particulars of one of the counts read, “That you, Christopher Andekin, being the Director of Admin and Finance of the Nigeria Football Federation on or about 8th day of January to 26th day of January 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja while being entrusted with dominion over money meant for the development of football in Nigeria, a grant from the Federation of International Football Association to NFF fraudulently, diverted the sum of N1,353,407.22 from the NFF domiciliary account No. 5070407456 with the Zenith Bank into your personal use and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Cap 532 LFN 1990 and punishable under Section 312 of the same Code.”
Another count read, “That you, Rajan Zaka, being a cashier with the Nigeria Football Federation in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja while being entrusted with dominion over money meant for the development of football in Nigeria, a grant from the Federation of International Football Association to NFF fraudulently, diverted the sum of $6,490,900.48 from the NFF domiciliary account No. 5070407456 with the Zenith Bank into your personal use and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Cap 532 LFN 1990 and punishable under Section 312 of the same Code.”
