An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigator, Christopher Odofin, has confirmed that Zakari Deba, the Aide-de-Camp of the Yobe governor, Ibrahim Geidam, paid the sum of N15m to the account of the Yobe Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Abu Zarma few days to the Saturday, April 11, 2015 governorship election on the state.
Odofin, who spoke on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 said Deba paid the money in two batches of N8 million and N7 million to two of Zarma’s accounts with Zenith and Diamond Banks respectively, although the REC ordered his bank to reverse the transactions.According to Odofin, his team discovered that on Wednesday, April 8, 2015, Deba caused a Diamond Bank’s Assistant Branch Manager (Damaturu), Bamaji Mohammed Kukawa to pay N7m and N8m into Zarma’s accounts with Diamond and Zenith Banks respectively.He further availed that on Thursday, April 9, 2015, Zarma lodged complaints with both banks after which the transactions were reversed.Asides the complaints to the banks, Zarma also wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), informing him of the strange lodgement.
He said: “From our investigation so far, we found that there was clear and concerted attempt by Deba and Kukawa to financially induce Zarma to get favour. We recommend that Deba and Kukawa be prosecuted for attempting to bribe Zarma,”
The tribunal has been adjourned until Thursday, August 13, 2015.
