A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama has ordered the remand of former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, following his arraignment on alleged corruption charges.
Justice Peter Kekemeke issued the remand order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought Umar before the court on a four-count charge bordering on allegedly using his office to obtain undue financial benefits while serving as CCT chairman.
According to the prosecution, Umar allegedly received N5.5 million through his wife’s bank account in 2021 from a contractor engaged to repaint the CCT headquarters in Abuja.
The Federal Government further alleged that on January 25, 2024, the former tribunal chairman received another N6 million through the same account from a contractor responsible for the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.
The prosecution also accused Umar of directing a separate contractor to pay N2.43 million as tuition fees for his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.
The alleged offences are said to contravene Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Umar pleaded not guilty to all four counts.
At the proceedings, prosecuting counsel, Christopher Mshelia, urged the court to fix a date for trial and order the defendant’s remand pending further proceedings.
Counsel to the defendant, however, drew the court’s attention to a bail application already filed on Umar’s behalf and urged the court to hear the application.
The prosecution opposed the request, informing the court that it had only just been served with the bail application and required time to file a response.
Following submissions from both parties, Justice Kekemeke adjourned the case until July 15 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that Umar be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
During his tenure as chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Umar presided over several high-profile cases, including those involving former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, whose removal from office was ordered by the tribunal.
