SA To Amaju Pinnick, Tunde Aderibigbe, Queried By NFF For Trading In National Team Players

Tunde Aderibigbe, the SA to NFF President Amaju Pinnick, has been implicated again in the sudden disappearance of Golden Eaglets striker Orji Okonkwo, a day before his trip to Italy to join his new club Spezia.

Aderibigbe has been issued a query by the eggheads at the Nigeria Football Federation to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for illegally trading in national team players after he was reported by Football College Abuja.

The Administrator of Football College, Abuja (FCA), Kumbi Titiloye, says he has documents proving that Aderibigbe used his name to book a hotel at Utako for Orji Okonkwo’s mother and Shola, an official of St Thomas FC Benin City, in November 2015 when the Nigeria U17s returned from Chile.

There are several WhatsApp communications between Tunde and Tayo Adeleke, the agent representing Orji Okonkwo, which confirms that he is liaising with Femi Olaniran to transfer the player to another club other than Spezia.

Football College Abuja have bought a flight ticket and processed Orji Okonkwo’s work permit, only for him to disappear for a second time 24 hours before his trip and Aderibigbe is the number one suspect in his vanishing act.

Football College Abuja acquired Orji Okonkwo from St Thomas FC for a fee of $10,000, with a five percent sell-on clause inserted into the agreement,stating that the Benin City-based team will receive that sum if he is transferred from Spezia.

But St Thomas have been paid only $3,000 out of the agreed sum and Tayo Adeleke has threatened to make trouble if the balance is not remitted to him by Thursday.

The Nigeria Football Federation has set up a panel to investigate the Orji Okonkwo imbroglio and will sanction any party, including Tunde Aderibigbe, found guilty of wrongdoing.

Photo Credit : thenff.com