Former Nigerian international Sam Sodje made nine appearances for Portsmouth last season
Mr Sodje was secretly filmed by the Sun on Sunday describing how he punched an opponent in a League One game to get a red card in exchange for £70,000.

He was sent off in the 50th minute of a League One match while playing for Portsmouth against Oldham Athletic on 23 February.

The paper also reported that an Oldham player, Cristian Montano, apologised to Mr Sodje after failing to get a yellow card in the first half of a match against Wolves on 22 October.

And it said that Mr Sodje's brother Akpo, a striker at Tranmere Rovers, had said he would be prepared to be paid to be booked.

The allegations prompted the National Crime Agency to launch an inquiry.

"An active NCA investigation is now under way and we are working closely with the Football Association and the Gambling Commission," it said in a statement.

"Six people are in custody and are being questioned by NCA officers. We cannot comment further at this stage."

'Shocked and saddened'
In a statement from Portsmouth Football Club, spokesman Colin Farmery said: "If these serious allegations are true then we are extremely shocked and saddened by them, as match-fixing of any type goes to the heart of the integrity of the game.

Influencing a match used to be wholly more complex because it's 22 men - or 25 if you're including officials - who you need to get to”

PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle
"The player in question no longer plays for the club and we have not been contacted by the authorities, but of course we would co-operate fully with any inquiry."

Mr Montano's club, Oldham Athletic, said it would be starting an immediate internal investigation.

Tranmere Rovers said it was "aware of Sunday newspaper allegations regarding Akpo Sodje" but would make no further comment on the ongoing investigation.

Former Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chairman Clarke Carlisle said an increase in the number of betting markets in recent years had made it "very easy to manipulate a single incident".

"Influencing a match used to be wholly more complex because it's 22 men - or 25 if you're including officials - who you need to get to," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"But now something as simple as a booking, a red card - these can be manufactured incidents.

"I think the betting markets are something that we could have a look at as an industry."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25297600

Wonder what these guys are looking for?
Michael Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun mentioned by Eurosport too
Ghana/Naija collabo > http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-six-held-football-39-fix-39-probe-063614584--sow.html

Guys let the show begin
what are they looking for?

And to think of all the clubs he's played for in the UK, the BBC had to find one with him in his Nigerian team jersey to help drag Nigeria into his mud. Shame on the BBC I'd say.