Nigeria seizes properties of FA chiefs in fresh graft probe

ABUJA: Nigerian authorities on Monday seized a dozen properties from senior officials of Nigeria's top football body, including its president Amaju Pinnick, in a fresh corruption probe.

Agents of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) took over 12 properties -- half belonging to Pinnick, including a property in London -- in the latest investigation to target senior officials of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), accused of laundering millions of dollars.

ICPC spokesperson Rasheedat Okoduwa said "many officials of the NFF are under investigation. What they have is in excess of what they have earned." NFF bosses led by Pinnick are currently under three separate corruption probes, including a 17-count charge in courts ranging from failure to declare assets and embezzling $8.4 million (7.5 million euros) paid to the federation by world football governing body FIFA. The case continues on September 26. In a separate case, Pinnick, general secretary Mohammed Sanusi and three NFF accountants have also been charged to court over an alleged theft of over $10 million in grants from both FIFA and the African Football Confederation (CAF), meant for the development of football in Nigeria. In July, CAF sacked Pinnick as vice president of the body following the charges against him, which he denied, with the NFF branding the investigations a "witch-hunt."