Maigari Moves Court To Stop Police ‘Harassment’

The head of Nigeria’s football association has sought a court injunction against the security services to prevent further “harassment” in the run-up to a crucial meeting, his lawyer said.

Human rights advocate Festus Keyamo said late Friday that papers were filed on behalf of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Aminu Maigari and three other senior members against the Department of State Services and the head of the federal police.

Security agents detained Maigari on his return from the World Cup finals in Brazil in July and he was held again in August before an NFF general assembly, at which he was ousted by Chris Giwa.

This week, all the officials named in the complaint lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja were quizzed by police, in a move believed to have been ordered by the sports minister, who endorsed Giwa.

“We hope you realise that any action on your part in form of continuous invitations, harassments, arrests and detentions will undermine the authority of the court in this regard,” the complaint read.

The “various harassments” were illegal and designed to derail next Tuesday’s meeting, they said, alleging the actions were “at the behest of those who intend to scuttle the congress as they do not mean well for Nigerian football”.

“Kindly note that if your actions precipitate a crisis that bungles the congress, our clients shall not be held responsible for any fate that befalls our football from FIFA,” they added.

Maigari’s ouster led world governing body FIFA to threaten to ban Nigeria from all international competition.

The threat was lifted when Giwa stepped down and Maigari resumed his duties.

But FIFA warned that suspension until its own annual congress in May was still a possibility if the NFF did not comply with rules and procedures on electing national officials.