Nigerian Athletics Federation President, EFCC, Others Dragged to Court Over N70 Million Sports Sponsorship Scandal

A non-governmental organization, the Athletics and Other Sports Development Initiative, has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Ojuru Okowa, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the AFN itself, former AFN Secretary General Rita Mosindi, and the current Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olapade, over an alleged N70 million sports sponsorship scandal.

The lawsuit, filed under Suit No: FHC/AR/CS/433/2005, centers on a sponsorship deal worth N70 million disbursed in 2023 by Premium Trust Bank to the AFN. The plaintiff alleges that these funds were mismanaged, with a lack of proper accountability from key officers involved.

According to the Statement of Claim, the sponsorship deal was facilitated through a tripartite agreement involving Premium Trust Bank (the sponsor), Nilayo Sports Management Ltd. (the broker, where Bukola Olapade was the Managing Director at the time), and the AFN (the beneficiary).

The plaintiff states that the AFN’s Audit Committee, acting under Article 14.3.3 of the federation’s constitution, conducted an investigation into the disbursement of the funds and discovered significant financial irregularities.

The audit report, dated October 31, 2023, allegedly revealed that a staggering N40 million was transferred into the personal account of AFN President Tonobok Okowa without any justifiable reason. Furthermore, the report purportedly indicated that the former Secretary General, Rita Mosindi, failed to provide any documentation, such as written approvals, vouchers, or cheques, to account for the remaining N30 million. The Audit Committee recommended that both officials refund the misappropriated funds.

The Athletics and Other Sports Development Initiative claims that despite these findings and over five months passing, the AFN has failed to take any action to enforce the recommendations of its own Audit Committee. Consequently, on April 15, 2024, the organization petitioned the EFCC to investigate the alleged embezzlement.

While the EFCC reportedly invited all key parties – Premium Trust Bank, Tonobok Okowa, Rita Mosindi, and Bukola Olapade – for questioning, the plaintiff alleges that only the bank honored the invitation, while the other individuals ignored the commission’s summons.

The lawsuit is now seeking several declarative and mandatory orders from the court, including:

A declaration that the EFCC has a mandatory duty to investigate all reported cases of economic and financial crimes.
A declaration that the EFCC’s failure to conduct and conclude investigations on the Plaintiff’s Petition dated April 15, 2025, constitutes a dereliction of its statutory duty.
AN ORDER compelling the AFN to assist the EFCC in its investigation.
AN ORDER instructing the AFN to suspend Tonobok Okowa and Rita Mosindi from their offices during the period of the investigations.

AN ORDER compelling Bukola Olapade to step aside as the Director General of the National Sports Commission during the period of the investigations and until the EFCC concludes its inquiries.

The Athletics and Other Sports Development Initiative argues that its actions are in line with its core mission to protect the interests and welfare of Nigerian sportsmen and women. The organization stated,

“As long as there is no transparency and accountability, the dream of building a vibrant sports sector in Nigeria will remain elusive.”