The Forensic Audit Investigation Committee set up by Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has demanded that three former Vice Chairmen of Lobi Stars Football Club of Makurdi refund a staggering sum of ₦2.445 billion to the club’s coffers.
Governor Alia established the committee on October 7, 2024, under the leadership of San-Chir-Igba Donatus, with a mandate to audit the club’s finances from January 2020 to September 2024. The committee was tasked with analyzing handover notes from the outgoing board, identifying the club’s income, and making recommendations on actions to be taken for the club’s betterment.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, confirmed on Friday that the report, submitted on November 24, 2024, implicated the trio of Mike Idoko, Emmanuel Taman, and Dominic Iorfa. They have now been directed to return various amounts of funds they allegedly mismanaged during their tenure.
According to the committee’s findings, Lobi Stars earned a total of ₦3.76 billion from January 2020 to September 2024, but only ₦1.31 billion was accounted for, leaving a discrepancy of ₦2.44 billion. The breakdown of the refund demands is as follows:
Mike Idoko and his team are required to return ₦243.96 million for the 2020-2021 period.
Emmanuel Taman and his team are to refund ₦434.32 million for 2021-2022.
Dominic Iorfa and his team must pay back ₦692.45 million for 2022-2023, as well as ₦702.87 million for 2023-2024, along with ₦371.41 million for the 2024-2025 period.
The committee’s report also outlined several recommendations for improving the club’s management. These included the registration of Lobi Stars as a full company responsible for generating its own revenue and ensuring that funds from sponsors are deposited directly into the club’s account. Additionally, the report called for the club’s independence, urging that the Ministry of Sports no longer control or interfere in the day-to-day operations of Lobi Stars FC.
The committee emphasized that all individuals and companies involved in financial transactions with the club during the period in question were given a fair hearing before these recommendations were made.
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