NPFL: Supreme court declares League Management Company (LMC) fraudulent
Nigeria’s Supreme Court on Friday declared the formation of the League Management Company (LMC), the company that currently runs the Nigeria professional football League as an aberration and deceit, according to The Crest.
In a landmark judgement, the five jurists comprising Justice Mary Odili, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, Justice Ibrahim Mohammed, Justice Ejembi Eko and Justice Musa Saulawa held that the LMC is unknown to any law in Nigeria.
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Justice Ejembi Eko said the LMC was fraudulently floated to avoid and evade pre-existing debts and other obligations owed by the Nigeria Premier League Limited that is mandated by law to run a professional football league in Nigeria.
The apex court also chastised the lower courts that declared the Nigeria Premier league Limited dead..
“It is curious that after the judgement of the lower court presided over by Justice Okorowo on the 24th of June 2016, the Nigeria Premier League Limited received bank drafts to the tune of N254,000,000.00 (two hundred and fifty-four million Naira) issued by Total Promotions Nigeria Limited which it took value in and subsequently transferred to Club owners.”
“Of note is that the judgement of Okorowo is not the dissolution order within the purview of the provisions of section 454 (1) of the company and allied matters act (CAMA).
“I must say straight away that there is a world of difference between the winding up of a company and the dissolution of a company. A company dies when a court orders the dissolution of the company. The revocation of a company and order of court winding up, some do not indicate its death. A company under winding up proceedings has not died. It is still alive but perhaps sick,” the learned justices said.
The court averred further that indeed injustice had been done in this matter and ordered the LMC to pay the sum of three million Naira to the appellant, Emmanuel Oboh and Emmanuel Oboh & associates
It denounced the judgement of both the Federal High court and the appeal court.
The defendants/Respondents are Nigeria Football League Limited, League Management Company Limited and First Bank of Nigeria PLC
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