The presidency has debunked reports saying that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the prosecution of the President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick.
Reports circulated in the media on Saturday about Mr Buhari ordering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute Mr Pinnick over alleged multi-billion naira fraud in the football house.
The presidency, in a release by spokesperson Garba Shehu on Sunday, however denied such report, calling it fake news.
“A press release in circulation in the last 24 hours, to the effect that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the arrest and prosecution of Amaju Pinnick, the NFF Chairman, is fake news because anyone familiar with the President’s unmitigated and unshakable commitment to the due processes of the law will not make such assumptions of the President.
“The position of the President that allegations of criminal nature should be addressed only by investigation and law enforcement agencies, within the framework of the law has not changed.
“It is not in the nature of President Buhari to say go and arrest that man or woman as formed the practice in the past.
“Rather, he allows all allegations of this nature to be addressed using the mechanism of the rule of law even as law enforcement and investigation agencies should not in any way be hampered in performing their duties.
“At the same time, nobody should drop names to seek to influence the course of those investigations,” the statement read.
