Presidency orders withdrawal of ‘Fake News’ press release on NFF

“The position of the President that allegations of criminal nature should be addressed only by investigation and law enforcement agencies, within the framework of the law has not changed.”

The Presidency has said that the press release in circulation purportedly claiming President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the prosecution of Amaju Pinnick, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) is fake and ordered that such release must be withdrawn.

The presidential order came in a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Sunday.

The statement said: “A press release in circulation in the last 24 hours, to the effect that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the arrest and prosecution of Amaju Pinnick, the NFF Chairman, is fake news because anyone familiar with the President’s unmitigated and unshakable commitment to the due processes of the law will not make such assumptions of the President.

“The position of the President that allegations of criminal nature should be addressed only by investigation and law enforcement agencies, within the framework of the law has not changed.

“It is not in the nature of President Buhari to say go and arrest that man or woman as formed the practice in the past.

“Rather, he allows all allegations of this nature to be addressed using the mechanism of the rule of law even as law enforcement and investigation agencies should not in any way be hampered in performing their duties. 

“At the same time, nobody should drop names to seek to influence the course of those investigations.”