A Rivers State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, has heard that former director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Robert Akunne Obuoha, bribed the South-South Zonal Head of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ishaq Salihu, with N150,000 to buy recharge card while being investigated by the EFCC.
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Salihu told the court at the resume hearing in the case of contract splitting and over-inflation of contract against Obuoh while he was director, Project Management of the NDDC.
The EFCC Zonal head explained that Obuoha’s aim for giving him the money was to compromise investigation.
He said, “On February 12, 2016, the defendant came to my office where he asked me that he wanted to see me in private, and I asked him, why?
“I categorically told him that it was not possible and that, whatever he wished to see me about, should be discussed in the presence of the investigators. There upon, he dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a sum of N150, 000.00, made up of three bundles of N50, 000.00 of N500 denomination each and offered them to me. I asked him what the money was meant for, the defendant said I should use it to buy recharge cards and also to establish a relationship with me. This prompted the Commission to investigate the matter and file a charge against the defendant.”
Embattled Obuoha in his confessional statement admitted offering Salihu the said money, saying “for him to buy recharge cards in order to build a good relationship with him.”
Justice Amadi adjourned the case to 13 July, 2017 for the defence counsel to open its case.
