NFF drags Police to investigate match fixing case

The match-fixing case involving NPL clubs, Dolphins FC and Sunshine Stars, will be handed to the police to investigate, officials of the Nigeria Football Federation have announced.

NFF General Secretary, Musa Amadu, said reports in some section of the media that the two clubs have been left off the hook by the Appeals Committee is not true adding that the statement from the Committee was only misinterpreted.

 “We have read in the media that the Appeals Committee has let both teams off the hook. That is far from the truth.

“As can be seen clearly from the decisions of the Appeals Committee which met on Monday, the NFF was advised to ‘as a matter of urgency, national importance and international best practices, refer the matter to the law enforcement agencies for full, in-depth investigation to establish the culpability or otherwise of the appellants and other persons involved,” he said.

“They also set aside, without prejudice to the findings of the investigation by law enforcement agencies, the fine and sanctions as
it relates to the appellants.

“We must understand clearly what the Appeals Committee has done. It has decided that since there was criminal content, the matter had to
go to the law enforcement agencies for investigation. That is the position of the law. And that is, without prejudice to the football sanctions that may follow, if the parties are found guilty.

“I believe it is important to make this statement,” concluded Amadu.

The committee announced that this was the final decision on the matter and that any other challenges would only be entertained by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

Last season, champions Dolphin and Sunshine were mentioned in a case to compromise match officials for matches leading to the final weeks of the campaign.