By Albert Akota
Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Tammy Danagogo had no hand in the arrest of the former President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Aminu Maigari, Media Aide to the minister, Patrick Omorodion has said.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday, Omorodion explained that Maigari’s arrest last Tuesday by the operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) was in furtherance of the ongoing investigation into the recent fire incident at the NFF Glass House.
Omorodion states, “The National Sports Commission wishes to put the record straight on the reason for the arrest of former president of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Aminu Maigari last Tuesday in Abuja by men of the Directorate of State Security Services, DSS.
“Alhaji Maigari, it could be recalled, was picked up by men of the DSS in Abuja shortly before the Congress of the NFF and some Nigerians insinuated that the Bauchi-born administrator was arrested to prevent him from presiding over the Congress.
“It is however, on record that the former Acting President of the NFF, Chief Mike Umeh had, immediately after the fire outbreak which raised part of the NFF secretariat in Abuja, said he suspected sabotage by “some people who are desperate to perpetuate themselves in power and called on the police to investigate the incident.”
“The arrest of Maigari and some other officials of the NFF by the DSS is part of its routine to investigate the fire incident and interrogate some suspects based on the report of officials of the NFF and therefore had nothing to do with the NSC as is being erroneously insinuated.
“It is a fact that arson is a serious offence in Nigeria’s criminal law and anybody who is suspected to be involved, no matter how highly placed, must be investigated to verify his or her culpability or otherwise and appropriate sanction meted to such individual”.
On the crisis rocking the Football House, the Media aide said the Commission was not unaware of it, assuring all football stakeholders that the Minister would do everything to ensure that peace returns to the NFF.
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