NFF Crisis: Police Arrests Chris Giwa

By Olawale Ajimotokan in  Abuja

Ambassador Chris Giwa who through a Jos, Plateau State court order assumed the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), was yesterday arrested by Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Wuse Zone 7, Abuja for trespassing on the premises of the federation.

The drama briefly caused a disruption of the operations of the Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) as customers and other visitors were locked out after the compound was barricaded. Giwa was whisked away in his own car about 4.20 pm to the police station on the order of the DPO, who sought to know his mission at the Glasshouse.

Temper also boiled over as policemen in the team of the DPO and journalists clashed after the security men prevented reporters from covering the event.

Giwa arrived football secretariat after the management of NFF was duly served a copy of the court order nullifying the NFF board election in Warri on September 30, 2014, that brought in Amaju Pinnick as the president.

The order granted by Justice Musa Kurya presiding at Jos High Court was served on both the NFF and Sports Minister Solomon Dalung by a court bailiff who was accompanied by a senior police officer, acting on the instruction of the Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase. It was after he was about leaving that he found the gates barricaded and the DPO notified of his presence by one of the policemen securing the NFF office.

A very confident Giwa, accompanied by some members of his group, told reporters that he was at the NFF office to restore all the orders which he said were granted to him by the court since 2014.

He said those orders gave him the permit and rights to be at the NFF secretariat which had been secured by police in the past three weeks.

Giwa who insisted he was duly elected on August 26, 2014, in Abuja, said though he had resumed duty as NFF President, he would take full charge of business on Monday.

“It has been in the news for over a month that we got a ruling from the Federal High Court, Jos restoring all the orders granted us since 2014 to date.