The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday arraigned a former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Sani Lulu; his first Vice-President , Mr. Amanze Uchegbulam, and two ex-top officials of the NFF before a Federal High Court in Abuja for their alleged involvement in N1.5bn fraud.



The other accused are the former Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba, and the ex-Head of the Technical Committee of the organisation, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi.



The accused persons were arraigned before Justice Donatus Okorowo on a 10-count charge of felony, abuse of office with intent to gain and misappropriate public funds.



The accused, who arrived the court at about 8.20am, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge.



Lulu, Uchegbulam, Ojo-Oba, and Ogunjobi were arrested by EFCC on June 7, 2010 but granted administrative bail. They were, however, rearrested by the commission’s operatives on Monday.



Lawyer to the accused, Mr. Sunday Ameh (SAN), had while moving an application for their bail, urged the court to grant them temporary freedom on the grounds that the alleged offences were bailable.



According to him, the accused have earlier been granted bail by the EFCC, saying that his clients had never violated the terms of the bail.



Ameh said since the EFCC had concluded investigation into the matter, the likelihood of the accused interfering did not arise.



The prosecuting lawyer, Mr. O.F. Abegunde, who stood in for Mr. Titus Ashaolu (SAN), did not oppose the bail application.



Okorowo stood down the matter for about seven hours and in his ruling, admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of N100m each with two sureties.



The judge said one of the sureties must not be below grade level 15 in the civil service.



He added that the second surety must be a person of substance in the society, who would provide evidence of three years tax clearance payment.



The judge also directed that the both sureties must be residents of the Federal Capital Territory and must have landed property which title should be deposited with the court.



The sureties, who must be recommended by the defence lawyer would also depose to an affidavit of means.



The judge said the sureties and the accused must tender two new passport photographs and their passports.



Meanwhile, Justice Okorowo had directed that the case involving six suspects in the Halliburton bribery scandal be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Dan Abutu, for reassignment.



His action followed the failure of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to produce them before the court.



A prosecuting lawyer from the AGF’s office, Mrs. Omotunde Fatunde, had stunned the court when she said that logistics problems hindered the service of notices on the accused persons.



The accused are a former Personal Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Adeyanju Bodunde, Mr. George Mark, Mr. Hans George Christ, Henry Hausen, Julius Berger Plc and Bilfinger Berger GMBH.



No lawyers also rose to signify that they represented the suspects when the court registrar called on them (suspects) to answer the criminal charges leveled against them by the government.



Fatunde said that as at the time the court was sitting on Tuesday, the suspects were yet to be notified of the case against them.



She, therefore, pleaded with the judge for an adjournment to enable the government put its house in order.



But Okorowo, who was not persuaded by the explanation of the government lawyer, refused to grant adjournment in the case.



He ordered that the case be returned to to the CJ for a reassignment when government was ready to prosecute the case.



Besides, the judge said that his court would not assume jurisdiction in the case because it was not properly brought before him.


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These NFF rogues who stole Billions were in their agbada and jacket sitting in the Court , so relaxed you think they were watching the World Cup on TV . Why were they not in Chains for God sake !! , poor Naija man will steal a cup of Garri out of Poverty and these yeye Police will beat and handcuff man to death . Useless Country , the more you steal from the people , the more Power you get .

Lulu, others plead not guilty

Former NFF President Sani Lulu Abdullahi and his three associates on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption at an Abuja Federal High Court.

Lulu, along with former Secretary General Bolaji Ojo-Oba and former executive committee members Amanze Uchegbulam and Taiwo Ogunjobi appeared in court facing a 10-count charge including mismanagement of over N900 million of Nigeria's World Cup budget and paying allowances to over 170 unauthorized persons during the World Cup in South Africa.

All four men entered not guilty pleas and were given stringent conditions to be freed on bail.

Justice Donatus Okorowo ordered each of the officials to deposit a N100 million bail bond and produce two sureties by Wednesday.

One of the sureties must be a senior public worker, while the other must be of high standing in Nigeria.

The guarantors will have to present their tax clearance certificates for the past three years and also have fixed property in Abuja.

A trial date is yet to be fixed.

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