$130,000 AFN Scandal: World Athletics officially acknowledges receipt of refund

The world’s Athletics governing body, IAAF has confirmed receipt of full repayment of $130,000 it mistakenly paid into the account of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

The body, which recently changed its name to World Athletics, had in May threatened to place a ban on Nigeria if the AFN failed to refund the sum it was paid in error to support a competition – CAA/Warri Relays – hosted by Nigeria in 2017.

Nigeria’s Sports Ministry, under the then leadership of Barr. Solomon Dalung, reached an “amicable resolution” with the IAAF and was able to pay part of the debt.

The balance of the repayment was made last month when the current Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, ordered the refund of $65,000, which the World Athletics has now acknowledged.

Read Also: $130,000 AFN Scandal: Sunday Dare orders refund of outstanding debt to IAAF

In a letter to Minister Dare, the World Athletics body wrote;

“On behalf of President Coe, we acknowledge receipt and thank you for the balance of $65,000 which you recently transferred to World Athletics.

“We confirm that you have now paid us back in full the overpayment of $130,000 which had been made in error in May 2017.We are extremely grateful for your cooperation in this affair.”

Meanwhile, investigations are still ongoing regarding the excess payment and how it was spent by the AFN during and after the Relays in Warri.

Recall that a former Secretary-General of the AFN, Amaechi Akawo, was last month arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and detained for allegedly misappropriating the $130,000 overpayment.

Akawo has however been released on administrative bail.

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