The N12bn intervention fund released by the Federal Government to settle outstanding payments owed to Nigeria’s national football teams is now under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The money was approved by President Bola Tinubu in 2024 to clear unpaid salaries, allowances and bonuses owed to players and coaches across the national teams.
A source familiar with the investigation disclosed on Thursday that some officials connected to the management of the funds had already been invited by the anti-graft agencies and questioned.
The source said the officials had submitted statements and were currently on administrative bail, stressing that the investigation was still ongoing.
The probe came to light after the Nigeria Football Federation rejected a request for documents detailing how the N12bn was received and spent.
In a letter dated August 18, 2026, the NFF informed the Principal Partner of Cromwell & Okeke that it could not release the requested records because the matter was already before the EFCC and ICPC.
The request, made under the Freedom of Information Act, was submitted on August 7 and received by the NFF on August 11. It sought access to financial records, utilisation details and other documents relating to the Federal Government intervention fund.
The NFF explained that the documents requested were currently with the two anti-corruption bodies as part of their investigation.
The N12bn payment was announced in January 2024, shortly before the Super Eagles began their campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire.
At the time, the Presidency said the intervention was intended to clear up to 15 months of unpaid salaries owed to coaches of the senior national team, alongside outstanding allowances and other financial obligations to the Super Eagles, Super Falcons and U-20 national team.
However, the payment did not end complaints over unpaid entitlements within Nigerian football.
In November 2025, Super Eagles players reportedly boycotted a training session in Morocco ahead of their World Cup play-off against Gabon over unpaid allowances. Some of the claims reportedly dated back to 2019.
There were also fresh complaints from members of the Flying Eagles teams in April 2026, with The PUNCH reporting that some players were owed about N1.5bn in qualification bonuses and camp allowances.
The latest development has further intensified scrutiny of the NFF at a time when the federation is facing criticism over the state of Nigerian football.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Super Falcons’ inability to secure a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup have added to the pressure on the football authorities.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau is also seeking another term at the federation’s planned September 27 election, despite growing opposition to his administration.
There have additionally been allegations that the National Sports Commission is considering moves to stop the election and establish a normalisation committee to oversee the affairs of the NFF, although the federation’s board has denied the claim.
The EFCC and ICPC had not issued official statements on the investigation as of the time of filing the report.
