Buhari didn’t order arrest, prosecution of Pinnick – Presidency

The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has explained that President Muhammadu Buhari did not order the arrest and prosecution of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, over alleged fraud.

Shehu, in a statement on Sunday, said President Buhari has respect for the rule of law and that investigation should be done by law enforcement agencies.

“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,” the statement read in part.

The President’s special adviser also noted that instead of hampering the rule of law, the President will rather allow the law to take its course. According to him, it is not in the nature of President Buhari to the order arrest of anyone.

“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.”