Abuja — The Economic and Financial Crimes yesterday arraigned four former board members of the Nigerian Football Federation(NFF), over a N1.5billion fraud.

The quartet, Sani Lulu Abdullahi, Amanze Uchegbulam, Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Taiwo Ogunjobi, were charged before Justice David Okorowa of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 10-count charge.

The accused persons were, however, granted bail by Justice David Okorowa with the condition that the accused persons each provide a N100 million bond and two sureties in like sum; one of the sureties must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15 with a tax clearance of three years. The other surety must be a responsible citizen with landed property in Abuja Municipal Council Area (AMAC) and depose to an affidavit with the registrar of the court. The accused must also deposit their passport photographs.

The judge, thereafter, remanded the accused persons in EFCC custody and ordered that they be produced in court today for transfer to Kuje prison should they fail to meet the bail conditions by then.

The former NFF officials were docked by the EFCC for using their office to corruptly confer unfair advantage on themselves, defrauding the federal government to the tune of over N1.5 billion and robbing government of its revenue by issuing 1,263 tickets as complimentary offers to friends, associates, political support groups and relations.

Besides, the accused were also alleged to have booked the Hampshire Hotel at the 2010 South African World Cup fiesta, which is said to be cheap, substandard, unbefitting and an unlisted hotel outside of the approved list of hotels by the Federation of International football Association (FIFA) for lodging by participating teams and caused the federal government to pay a fine to the tune of $125,000 for breach of contract.

Troubles started for Lulu, Ogunjobi and Uchegbulam when they were sacked by nine out of the 13 members of the board of the NFF on July 4, climaxing the crisis rocking the football house. The executive committee of the NFF had also, on July 27, sent Ojo-Oba on compulsory leave to pave way for an unfettered probe of the football house. On the basis of this, the EFCC had, on July 6, summoned Lulu and others but they were unable to keep the appointment until July 15 when they were eventually interrogated.

Although they were granted administrative bail after more than 10 hours interrogation, the EFCC had seized their travel documents to prevent them from leaving the country. As a prelude to their grilling, operatives of the commission, on July 12, raided the Glass House secretariat of the NFF and took away documents relating to the billion naira scandal.