NANF drags English FA to court over $10bn betting revenue

Joe Apu

The National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) has dragged the English Football Association to court over $10bn betting revenue.

In a press release signed by President of NANF, Harrison Jalla, he stated that Nigerian players and football development are being denied needed funds that would have ordinarily bettered the fortunes of Nigerian football.

He noted that through betting and satellite transmission of matches, domestic football in Nigeria has suffered and as such a judicial process to recover outstanding $10billion in royalties in a United Kingdom court has commenced.

“The National Association of Nigerian Footballers (NANF) after due consultation with relevant authorities in Nigeria namely the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, the Nigeria Lottery Regulatory Commission and the Nigeria Lottery Trust Fund over the killing of Nigeria domestic football as a product, service and industry by Cable Satellite Television and football betting companies using foreign league games particularly the English Premiership league games has decided to go to court .

“NANF has also contacted the English FA through its chairman Greg Clark in a letter dated 10th of January 2018.”

Jalla noted that the English Football Association as sole owners of the English Premier League and football betting products in which Nigerians are end-users, in a grand conspiracy entered into spurious contracts with international cable television stations.

“These contracts are dubiously claused cashing on the ignorance and greed of the relevant Nigerian authorities’ to defraud the Nigerian economy. NANF has already briefed its external solicitors Johnson & Steler solicitors of Hanover Square Mayfair London to launch a judicial process to recover the sum of $10 billion as outstanding royalties from 2008-2018.”

Jalla noted further that fans have deserted our stadias because of foreign league matches scheduled for the same time. “Just imagine what $10 billion would do to our players welfare and the NFF in the development of the game in Nigeria,” he said.