Judgement On NFF’s Missing Dollars For June 10

An Abuja Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, reserved till June 10, judgement on  the case of  missing 236,000 dollars at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Chief Magistrate David Ochimana,  who tendered his unreserved apology before the court said he was unable to prepare the judgement as a result of other judicial issues which needed attention.

“I apologise for not being able to make available the NFF missing dollars judgment scheduled for today.

“This is in view of other issues attended to. I promise to make do with the judgement on the next possible date given by this court,” Ochimana pleaded.

Mr E.E Itah, counsel to John Adelowo, noted that Nigerians were awaiting the judgement as there had been speculations that the judgement would be delivered after the NFF election.

The money was declared missing from the NFF’s secretariat on March 19, 2009 and the case has since then suffered many adjournments.

After preliminary investigations, police had arrested 12 suspects and arraigned them on May 5, with seven of them discharged on September 23, 2009.

Ochimana had ruled then, that the prosecution had failed to make a prima facie case against those discharged.

The remaining accused, John Adelowo, Lukeman Ajiboye, Abutu Ogaji, Isaac Baba and Yakubu Bawa are now awaiting the judgement.

The five had since been facing a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, housebreaking,  theft and negligence.