- Harrison Jalla calls on ICPC and EFCC to investigate NFF finances.
- References Congo FA president jailed over $1.3 million FIFA funds scandal.
- Raises concerns over missing World Cup and FIFA grants in Nigeria.
- Demands accountability and reform in Nigerian football administration.
Football reform advocate Harrison Jalla has called on Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies to investigate alleged financial misconduct within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), citing the recent jailing of a top football official in Congo as a benchmark for accountability.
A former Nigerian international and Chairman of the Advocacy for Nigeria Football Reform Concepts, Harrison Jalla, has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take decisive action over alleged corruption in Nigerian football.
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Jalla’s call comes in response to a recent ruling by a court in Republic of the Congo, where the President of the country’s football federation, Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas, was sentenced to life imprisonment over financial crimes.
The case involved the mismanagement of about $1.3 million in FIFA development funds, with Mayolas’ wife, son, and two other officials also convicted.
Reacting to the development, Jalla questioned why similar action has not been taken in Nigeria despite what he described as overwhelming evidence of financial irregularities within the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
“If $1.3 million can send the Congolese president to jail, what about Nigerian Football Federation officials?” Jalla asked.
He alleged that corruption within Nigerian football has gone largely unpunished, contributing to the decline of the sport in the country.
Jalla listed several funds he claimed were either mismanaged or unaccounted for, including:
• $8.4 million from the 2014 World Cup grant
• $10 million from the 2018 World Cup grant
• $10 million FIFA Forward Fund (released in phases)
• Over $35 million from SuperSport broadcast rights
According to him, some of these funds were allegedly diverted or poorly accounted for, raising serious questions about transparency within the system.
Jalla further challenged the anti-graft agencies to explain why no prosecutions have been made, despite past investigations.
He also criticised oversight bodies, including the National Assembly committees on sports, for failing to take decisive action.
“These issues cannot be swept under the carpet and will remain at the forefront until total reforms are implemented,” he said.
He added that whistleblowers and critics are often targeted, rather than protected, which discourages accountability in the sector.
The call for action is likely to intensify public scrutiny on the management of football funds in Nigeria, especially as comparisons are drawn with stricter enforcement actions in other countries.
As of now, neither the ICPC nor the EFCC has issued an official response to Jalla’s claims.