By Mark Baber
July 4 – The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari, and other board members were arrested by the Department of State Security Service at Nanmdi Azikiwe International Airport as they returned from the World Cup on Friday, July 4, 2014, according to reports from the NFF secretariat in Abuja.
“An order of mandatory injunction is granted compelling the 4th defendant (Minister of Sports) to appoint a senior members of the civil service in the 1st Defendant (NFF) to command , control and manage the affairs of the said 1st defendant and the football matters in Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice in this matter.”
Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, NSC, Dr. Tammy Danagogo responded to the court’s injunction by directing Lawrence Longyir Katken, a senior staff member at the NFF, to take over as Acting Secretary General of the NFF.
The legal proceedings which have given rise to this extraordinary state of affairs arise out of a dispute between the plaintiff, Mrs Ebiakpo Rumson Baribote, chairman of Nembe City FC, her husband Victor Baribote Rumson, former Nigerian Premier League (NPL) Chairman, and the NFF. The dispute originally concerned the formation and legality of the League Management Company and Victor Baribote’s attempt to reclaim his position as head of the NPL.
Victor Baribote had petitioned FIFA to intervene in the dispute with the NFF. FIFA’s Jérôme Valcke responded by saying the dispute was an internal matter for the NFF. The NFF Board pounced on the opportunity presented and banned Baribote from football for a period of 15 years alleging him of “impersonation” in his petition to FIFA, a charge which Baribote strenuously denies, saying FIFA was fully aware of his position when he wrote his letter.
Football stakeholders in the South-south zone, from which Baribore hails, had accused the sacked NFF Board of launching a witch hunt against members of the zone and rejected the 15 year ban saying, “We are proud of Chief Baribote for sponsoring a Premier League club in the country. We feel that those managing the nation’s football should applaud him for giving employment to several youths of this country instead of crucifying him. We urge the NFF to rescind the ban, if not, we would take legal steps to resist such witch-hunting ban,”
FIFA took no concrete action against current NFF Board member Di