How NBBF Swindle Ex-D'Tigers Coach, Others

Ebun Comets basketball club head coach, Ayo Bakare has concluded plans to recover the sum of Five hundred thousand naira paid into personal account of former Secretary General of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Peter Njoku.

Bakare, 64, former D'Tigers Coach in an exclusive interview with www.bsnsports.com.ng confirmed that he has all documentary and other evidences to substantiate how he was forced to pay Five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) a protest fee into the personal account of former Secretary General instead of the payment be made into the federation account, even, when the federation has an existing one.

According to him, the illegal act which was against civil service rule and ethics of the game happened during the 2024 NBBF Premier League game in Edo when Delta Force basketball team used a non-registered player against his team. Upon discovering this, he notified the match commissioner who directed him to put it into writing. 

On submission of the letter, he was told that the sum of N500,000 would be paid as the fee. "I was directed to Njoku who insisted that I must pay the money into his personal account or nothing be done about the protest. Needing the result, though unwillingly, I paid the money. Meanwhile, nothing happened after the payment was made, the protest letter was neither attended to neither did I get justice. "According to FIBA rule, if a protest letter is not being attended to, the amount paid should be returned within 24 hours and if the protest is out time, he would not have collected the money in the first place."

He continued, "The most painful part is that, the Technical Chairman and the President of the NBBF are aware of this illicit act but did nothing about it. The question I kept asking is, Is this how money meant for the federation has been paid into personal account without anyone raising eye brows? Is the process with which Peter Njoku obtained money from me right?

"I have taken a bold step in setting the record straight, I have reported the matter to the law enforcement to investigate the matter and take necessary action."

Ayodele Bakare was the former head coach of the senior men's Nigerian national basketball team. His Nigerian team qualified and competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He resigned has the teams Technical Director in 2014.

In the same vein, Oluyole Warriors basketball team also paid N500,000 as protest fee into the Secretary account during the 2024 NBBF Premier League.

 This is confirmed in a letter made available to BSN Sports, the Oyo State Basketball team wrote to the Director General, National Sports Commission, titled "letter of complaints for refund of protest fee, signed by the Secretary of Oyo State Basketball Association, Adekunle Tosin which read in part, 'I write to reference the above subject matter regarding payment made by Oluyole Warriors to Mr Peter Njoku, the Secretary of Nigeria Basketball Federation. This event occured on the 6th day of 2024 Basketball Premier League where protest letter was submitted against Delta Basketball team for playing foreign based players whom have not been cleared. 

Due process was followed in submitting the protest letter against the team and the sum of five hundred thousand naira was also paid into his account with proof of payment also attached where he provided his account for his money to be paid. Furthermore, the rule states that 24 hours upon investigation written protest against a team and the case proves beyond reasonable doubt when protest written has been proving to be true, a refund of total amount paid should be returned to the team. All mutual steps to recover the money proved abortive.

When reached, the NBBF Secretary admitted receiving the money (N500,000) each from two clubs paid into his personal account as protest fee when another team (Delta Force) used an unauthorized players. Defending the action, Njoku said, "the matter has been resolved because the points were deducted from the erring club while points were awarded to the affected teams who wrote letters. The money these clubs paid for the letters was used to pay to FIBA for the clearance of foreign players who came to play in the league."

When asked why the protest and other fees were not paid into NBBF account because payment was made to FIBA through the federation account, he said, "don't let us go there. I can not pay money into an account I don't have access to. As the Secretary General, I am the accounting officer of the federation as well as the Head of Administration.

The Committee set up for the NBBF league authorized that all monies be paid into my account. That was why the money was paid into my account.

"I have never used NBBF account for league before. The 2024 NBBF Premier League, all monies were paid into my account. As what happened to the federation account, you can ask the ministry about that, they're in the best position to answer that." He concluded.