N1bn suit: NFF vows to floor Keshi in court

In from Nifemi Daniel …

The Nigeria Football Federation has expressed confidence in flooring former Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi in court after he dragged the football body to court for his sacking.

Keshi is demanding a compensation of N1billion Naira (more than $400 million) for “wrongful dismissal and defamation”. The letter from the Kaduna-based law firm was received by the NFF last Friday.

Keshi was sacked by the NFF on July 5 after the NFF disciplinary committee investigated various allegations against him.

This was four months after the 53-year-old coach signed a new two-year contract after his initial three-year deal with the NFF ran out at last year’s World Cup in Brazil.

But Deputy Chairman of the NFF Organisation and Disciplinary Committee, Barrister Iyke Igbokwe, while speaking in Abuja maintained that they are ready to present the incriminating evidences against him in court.

“Let me tell you confidently that the court will throw away the N1billion compensation Keshi demanded from the federation. It is obvious that the people advising him to institute this litigation want to extort money from him. I want to warn Keshi that the court is for everybody not Keshi alone. The federation will be going to equity with clean hands as far as this case is concerned.

Read also: Keshi sues NFF for N1b

He added that, “We are going to match Keshi in court with the overwhelming materials in our possession. Barrister Green, Barr Majeoku and I are battle ready for Keshi. I assure you that Keshi’s case is not going to go the way of Sylvanus Okpala because Okpala’s case was very clear.”

Igbokwe further stressed that Keshi should also sue the Ivoirien FA for listing his name as one of the coaches who applied for the country’s vacant coaching job.

“We are going to meet Keshi in court and if Keshi wins that case in court, I will resign as a lawyer and I am serious about it. I am telling you with all sense of sincerity that Keshi will not win the case. If he wants my advice, I would tell him to sue the Ivoirien FA instead of the NFF.

“It is not the federation that included his name in the list of applicants as number 20. We are going to meet him in court. I repeat that the advisers want to extort money from him,” he said.

Ripples… without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now