Corruption charges against the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick have been withdrawn by the Federal Government of Nigeria. 

Pinnick had been charged to court for alleged fraud to the tune of $8.4 million and N4 billion. Other top scribes of the NFF including first Vice-President Seyi Akinwunmi, second Vice-President Shehu Dikko, Secretary-General Sanusi Mohammed and Executive member of the NFF Yusuf Fresh were also charged to court. 

The NFF top scribes were however never arraigned. 

The charges were on Tuesday, November 5 withdrawn by the Federal Government who had taken over the case from the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property (SPIP). 

Shehu Dikko, Amaju Pinnick and Seyi Akinwumi were never arraigned in court for the case
Shehu Dikko, Amaju Pinnick and Seyi Akinwumi were never arraigned in court for the case

It was a counsel representing the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) that applied for the charges to be withdrawn at a session on Tuesday at a federal high court in Abuja.  

The charges were dropped because the office of the AGF found no basis for the charges filed against Pinnick and other top officials of the NFF. 

At the court session on Tuesday, counsel to the NFF top officials Mohammed Katu also asked for his clients to be acquitted which the judge Ijeoma Ojuwku did. 

This development is a huge relief for Pinnick and the other top NFF officials who in September had several of their properties seized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). 

That case is still on and not connected to the charges that have been dropped. 

The NFF top officials are still subjects of investigations from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).