Showdown over ownership of Flying Eagles star: FC Obaje vow to fight Mavlon FC all the way to CAS

The ongoing dispute between FC Obaje and Mavlon FC over the ownership rights of Flying Eagles player Cletus Simon has taken a dramatic turn, with FC Obaje’s legal team accusing Mavlon FC of intimidation tactics. 

The controversy recently saw FC Obaje owner, Gabriel Obaje, detained for three days — a move his lawyers have described as an attempt to silence and bully him.

In an exclusive interview with All Nigeria Soccer, Samuel Ogbah of Nigeria’s leading sports law firm, Activity Chambers, said Obaje’s arrest was directly linked to his success in establishing FC Obaje’s rightful claim to the player.

“FC Obaje came to us after discovering that their player had surfaced at Mavlon FC without any formal clearance or consent," Ogbah explained to allnigeriasoccer.com.

"This is a boy they discovered in 2018 from his village, brought to Kaduna, housed along with his siblings, enrolled in school, and trained for years.

"He later disappeared under the pretext of visiting family and re-emerged months later with Mavlon FC.”

According to Ogbah, attempts by FC Obaje to initiate discussions with Mavlon FC were blocked by the club’s scouts and coaches, who allegedly prevented contact with Mavlon’s owner.

The law firm stepped in and successfully made a case before the NFF’s Players Status Department, which acknowledged FC Obaje’s role in the player’s development and granted them training compensation for the exact years Simon was with them. 

"The only body that can overturn this decision is the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and if Mavlon chooses to go that route, we’re confident we’ll prevail there too," he said.

Responding to allegations that the parental consent document FC Obaje presented to the NFF was forged, Ogbah dismissed them as a "desperate attempt to discredit our client’s legitimate claims."

"Our client personally traveled to the player’s village, explained the document’s content to his father — who is illiterate — and obtained his consent. 

"The only omission was the lack of an illiterate jurat, which is a legal technicality. Mr. Obaje is not a lawyer and wasn't aware of that requirement. 

"Getting the father to now deny the document won’t stand at CAS. We have photographic evidence and other documentation proving our client’s role in the player’s development."

Ogbah emphasized that no amount of pressure or intimidation will deter their client from seeking justice. 

"Cletus Simon himself admitted at the police station that FC Obaje trained him. 

"Our client did not forge any document. We stand firmly with FC Obaje and will pursue this case to its rightful conclusion. They deserve to be compensated."

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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