The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially denied allegations circulating on social media that it owed the late Christian Chukwu, former Super Eagles captain and coach, $128,000 in unpaid wages.

In a statement released on Monday, NFF General Secretary Dr. Mohammed Sanusi described the claims as baseless, asserting that there is no record of any outstanding debt to Chukwu within the federation’s financial records. He highlighted that during the first term of the Amaju Pinnick-led Board, a committee was established to review claims of unpaid wages to coaches, ensuring the immediate settlement of all legitimate debts. According to Sanusi, this committee found no record of indebtedness to Chukwu.​

Sanusi further challenged anyone with credible and verifiable evidence of any outstanding payments owed to Chukwu or any other national team coach over the past 20 years to present such documents, stating that the NFF would honor any proven debts without hesitation.​

However, prior to his passing, Chukwu had publicly lamented that the NFF owed him salaries dating back to his tenure as head coach from 2002 to 2005. In a 2024 interview, he expressed frustration over the federation's failure to address his claims, despite multiple attempts through writing, telephone calls, and visits to the NFF office. He emphasized that such treatment would not have been meted out to foreign coaches.​

The NFF has expressed condolences to Chukwu’s family and the Nigerian football community, acknowledging his contributions as captain of the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team and his role in leading the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2004 AFCON in Tunisia.​