Police take over NFF secretariat, bar visitors from Glass House

Men and officers of the Nigeria Police, numbering about 30, as well as operatives of the Department of Special Security (DSS) yesterday took over the offices of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) reportedly on the orders of the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung.

The Police action, according to some of the officers, was to ensure that nobody capitalized on Friday’s ruling by a Federal High Court sitting Jos, which dismissed the Amaju Pinnick-led board of the NFF, to breach the peace.

The gun-wielding officers, who stormed the Glass House on four vehicles, including three patrol cars and one van, screened every visitor to the adjourning offices in the complex, which also houses the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

Explaining their presence at the NFF secretariat, the head of the Police team, Irek Sunday, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said the order to protect the Glass House came from above.

He told journalists attracted to the scene by the Police presence: “Please, I want you to leave here because this is a security area. You can stay across the road. I don’t know what is happening here and we did not come here on our own, the order came from above.

“I also want to remind you that there is a channel of communication and if you need any information about what is happening here, you can get across to the appropriate authority. I cannot confirm to you if there is an order not to allow journalists into the federation premises.”

Despite the Police presence, some senior NFF officials, including the
General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, and Assistant Secretary, Bola Oyeyede, were allowed access to their offices to attend to important matters.

Sanusi was on hand to receive the match officials from CAF for today’s second leg African Women Championship (AWC) qualifying match between Nigeria and Senegal.