Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia is facing a N250 million legal threat from FIFA-licensed football agent John Shittu over bribery allegations. Shittu claims Siasia’s statements, made during an interview on Elegbete TV, are false, damaging, and injurious to his reputation.

According to Shittu’s legal team, Godwin Dick Inyang & Co., Siasia alleged that Shittu offered him €50,000 to include John Obi Mikel in Nigeria’s U-23 squad for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Shittu denies this, calling the allegations “malicious and grossly defamatory” and stating they have severely tarnished his reputation in local and international football communities.

Siasia has been given a 14-day ultimatum to comply with Shittu’s demands, which include :

– Public Retraction: A comprehensive public retraction of the defamatory comments on all platforms where they were originally published

– Formal Apology: Publication of a formal written apology in at least two widely circulated national newspapers and online news sites

– Written Assurance: A written assurance from Siasia that he will refrain from making similar defamatory statements against Shittu

– Financial Compensation: Payment of N250 million in damages for defamation, loss of reputation, and goodwill

If Siasia fails to comply, Shittu will institute a suit against him, seeking aggravated damages, a court-ordered injunction, and further relief deemed appropriate by the court. This development adds to Siasia’s existing legal issues, following a 2019 FIFA life ban for bribery related to match-fixing, later reduced to a five-year suspension by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) .