FORMER SUPER EAGLES PLAYER, EFE SODJE, TWO BROTHERS JAILED OVER N28MILLION FRAUD

The duo of Bright Sodje bagged 21 months, and Stephen Sodje 30 months respectively at the Central Criminal Court in relation to the fraud.  Efe Sodje played in the Football League between 1995 and 2015 and appeared for Nigeria in the 2000 African Cup of Nations and the 2002 World Cup, while Bright Sodje played professional rugby league and union in the 1980s and 1990s.

Penpushing also reports that,a judge at the same court on Monday lifted reporting restrictions preventing publication of the result of that trial, following the completion of a number of linked legal proceedings.

Efe Sodje played in the Football League between 1995 and 2015 and appeared for Nigeria in the 2000 African Cup of Nations and the 2002 World Cup, while Bright Sodje played professional rugby league and union in the 1980s and 1990s.

Penpushing gathered that the three brothers set up Sodje Sports Foundation (SSF) in 2009 with the aim of helping poor children in the Niger Delta and  used their connections within professional football and business communities to secure support for their foundation and to give it an appearance of legitimacy.

They were said to have between 2011 and 2014, defrauded donors of at least £63,000 and there is no record of what happened to any of the cash donations made at any of the events, meaning National Crime Agency (NCA)  officers were unable to put an exact figure on how much the Sodjes profited.

Penpushing further reports that, National Crime Agency (NCA) officers who investigated the Sodje Sports Foundation (SSF) activities found donations usually ended up in personal bank accounts of family members.

 It was in many cases  reported that the Sodjes asked that donations be paid to their personal accounts, with at least £34,000 collected in this way, while events over the three years, including charity football matches, raised funds but nothing reached any underprivileged or sick children.

The Deputy Director National Crime Agency (NCA) Chris Farrimond said: “Bright, Efe and Stephen Sodje promoted themselves as generous, community-minded, figures when they were knowingly defrauding people who thought they were helping deprived children in Nigeria.

“NCA financial investigators built a detailed picture of the movement of money in and out of the foundation and showed beyond doubt that for most of the foundation’s existence there was no charitable purpose.”