FIFA extends worldwide ban on Chris Giwa, 4 others

World football’s governing body FIFA on Tuesday, February 7, said it had extended the ban on Chris Giwa and four other officials who have been involved in a leadership battle with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

It was gathered that FIFA said its disciplinary committee had “decided to extend the five-year ban from taking part in any kind of football-related activity on Chris Giwa and four others.”

In a statement on its website, FIFA said that the ban would apply worldwide.

The statement read: “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.”

The other officials banned alongside Chris Giwa are Muazu Suleyman, Yahaya Adama, Sani Fema and Johnson Effiong.

Recall that in May 2016, the NFF first banned Giwa, owner of one-time Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) club Giwa FC, and the other officials after they sought redress from a civil court over a leadership tussle and this is against the NFF statutes.

Nigeria were severally threatened by a FIFA ban as a result of this leadership tussle.Giwa claimed he was duly elected NFF president in August 2014 and asked the court to overturn the elections of September 2014, which produced Amaju Pinnick as NFF president.

However, his five-year sanction was later confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).