The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has refuted claims circulating on social media that it owed the late Nigerian football icon, Christian Chukwu, the sum of $128,000 prior to his death.
Chukwu, a revered former Super Eagles captain and head coach, passed away on Saturday, April 12, at the age of 74, sparking widespread mourning across the country.
In a statement on Monday, NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi firmly denied the allegations, stating that the federation’s records do not reflect any outstanding financial obligations to Chukwu.
“There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu,” Sanusi said.
“During the first term of the Board led by Mr. Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to carefully review the cases of coaches owed by previous administrations, and no claim was identified from Chukwu.”
Sanusi noted that Chukwu served as head coach of the Super Eagles between 2002 and 2005, and was relieved of his duties following a World Cup qualifying draw against Angola in Kano. He emphasized that no unsettled claims from that period remain.
“As a responsible organization, if presented with any authentic documentation of outstanding payments owed to any coach, we are prepared to honor it,” Sanusi added.
Nicknamed ‘Chairman’ for his leadership on the field, Chukwu captained Nigeria to its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980 and later contributed significantly as a coach. His death has drawn heartfelt tributes from family, colleagues, and the entire Nigerian football community.
