By Stephen Simon
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have opened investigations into the management of a N12 billion Federal Government intervention fund released to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to settle outstanding payments owed to national team players, coaches and officials.
A source familiar with the investigation disclosed on Thursday that some individuals connected to the administration of the fund had already been invited by the anti-corruption agencies and questioned over its utilisation.
According to the source, the affected officials have made statements to investigators and were subsequently released on administrative bail, while the investigation remains ongoing.
“They have been under our radar before now. We invited some officials over to our offices, and they gave their statements. Presently, they are on administrative bail. We have not ended our investigation,” the source said.
The development came to light after the NFF responded to a Freedom of Information request seeking details of how the N12 billion intervention fund was disbursed and spent.
In a letter dated August 18, 2026, and signed by Onoja Joshua, Esq., on behalf of the NFF General Secretary, the federation declined to release the requested documents, explaining that the matter was already being investigated by the EFCC and ICPC.
The request, submitted by the Principal Partner of Cromwell & Okeke, had sought access to financial records, utilisation reports and other documents relating to the Federal Government funds. The correspondence was dated August 7 but was received by the NFF on August 11.
The federation stated that all relevant documents had been made available to the two anti-corruption agencies as part of their ongoing investigations.
The N12 billion was approved by President Bola Tinubu in January 2024, shortly before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire. The intervention was intended to clear accumulated financial obligations involving Nigeria’s national teams.
A statement from the President’s Media Centre at the time said the funding would cover up to 15 months of unpaid salaries owed to coaches of the senior national team, as well as outstanding allowances and other commitments to the senior men’s and women’s teams and the U-20 national team.
Despite the intervention, complaints over unpaid allowances and bonuses have continued to surface within Nigerian football.
In November 2025, the Super Eagles reportedly refused to train in Rabat, Morocco, ahead of their 2026 World Cup play-off against Gabon over unpaid allowances dating back several years. The players cited outstanding payments linked to previous achievements, including the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and qualification for the World Cup play-offs.
There were also fresh complaints in April 2026, when members of Nigeria’s 2023 and 2025 Flying Eagles squads reportedly alleged that the NFF owed them about N1.5 billion in qualification bonuses and camp allowances.
The latest investigation comes amid renewed scrutiny of the administration of Nigerian football. The country has faced a series of setbacks, including the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ inability to secure qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, who was first elected in September 2022, is seeking another term at the federation’s scheduled elective congress on September 27.
His administration has faced increasing criticism, while there have also been claims that the National Sports Commission is considering moves to halt the election and establish a normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of Nigerian football.
The NFF board has denied the claims.
As of the time of filing the report, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale and ICPC spokesperson John Odey had not responded to requests for comment on the investigation.
