Ado Salisu
Renowned sports entrepreneur and administrator, Hon. Shuaibu Ahmed Gara Gombe, has responded to a defamation claim by Nilayo Sports Management Limited.
Gara Gombe insists that his Facebook post was not intended to defame Bukola Olopade and Nilayo Sports Management, but rather to urge them to answer to the petition he filed with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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The petition alleges misuse of sponsorship fees meant for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
Gara Gombe claims that Nilayo Sports Management Ltd, which brokered the deal between Premium Trust Bank and the AFN, failed to follow the terms of the agreement.
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Specifically, Gara Gombe alleges that the sponsorship fees of N100 million naira were not paid into a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) account as specified in the agreement.
He also questions the payment of Nilayo’s commission of N30 million naira, which he claims was not in line with the agreement.
Nilayo Sports Management has threatened to take legal action against Gara Gombe for alleged defamation.
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However, Gara Gombe maintains that his statements were not defamatory and that he only sought to bring attention to the alleged misuse of funds.
The EFCC has been petitioned to investigate the matter, and Gara Gombe has called on Nilayo Sports Management to provide explanations for their actions.