FIFA extend ban of Chris Giwa & 4 others from football activities to 5 years

Thursday, 9 February 2017

The World's football governing body, FIFA, has announced that it has extended the ban of Chris Giwa, Muazu Suleiman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Effiong Johnson from all football matters worldwide for the next 5 years.
Giwa, in 2014 lost the NFF election to Amaju Pinnick but has filed several lawsuits in Nigerian law courts, contrary to FIFA rules which demand that football matters be settled in FIFA courts or be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) disciplinary committee had earlier suspended Giwa and four others for "illegally representing the NFF in breach of Article 40 of the NFF Statutes, when they without due authorization and mandate purported to contract a law firm.", but now FIFA in a new statement Tuesday on its website, extended the suspension to the world stage over "breaches of the NFF Statutes and the Fifa Code of Ethics."

"Fifa can today confirm the worldwide extension of sanctions imposed by the Nigerian Football Federation’s (NFF) Disciplinary Committee on 12 May 2016 against the officials Christopher Giwa, Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong for breaches of the NFF Statutes and the FIFA Code of Ethics. 

"In accordance with art. 136ff of the Fifa Disciplinary Code, the chairman of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the five-year ban from taking part in any kind of football-related activity imposed on the five officials to have worldwide effect," Fifa informed on its website on Tuesday.

Giwa and the four others were also suspended by the NFF for "taking football matters to the ordinary court and failing to submit to the jurisdiction of Fifa and the NFF."