Alhaji Aminu Maigari, NFF President
The Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday affirmed that the present Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation was validly elected into office and therefore, legitimate.
Delivering judgement in a case brought by the NFF Executive Committee, led by Alhaji Aminu Maigari against the Inspector-General of Police and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Legal), the judge declared that there is no subsisting court order to be enforced against the Board.
The Police had, few months ago, sought to enforce a court order of September 2010 of the Federal High Court, Lagos setting aside the NFF elections of August 2010.
In the ruling of the judge, the Interlocutory Orders made by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos setting aside the NFF Board elections of August, 2010, which the Nigeria Police sought to enforce, consequent upon a petition by NANF (i.e removing the Board Members from their elective offices) did not survive the striking out of the suit No FHC/L/CS/962/2010, by the same Justice Okon Abang.
The judge also declared that the invitation of NFF Executive Board Members by the Nigeria Police to appear for interview in connection with the order made by Justice Okon Abang in the earlier mentioned suit amounts to an illegal and unlawful interference with the Board Members’ right to liberty and freedom of movement as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the same vein, the judge issued an order of perpetual injunction prohibiting the Police by themselves, and all other officers, servants and functionaries and any other person or organisation from taking any further steps or actions towards the enforcement of any order made by Justice Okon Abang in the said suit FHC/L/CS/962/2010.
The NFF was represented in the case by former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN, CON), Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN) and Ibrahim Eddy Mark Esq.
Friday’s ruling has brought to an end the long-running battle by the body called NANF to ‘enforce a court order’, which in their own understanding, still existed, despite the striking out of the original case in the same Federal High Court, Lagos.