A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday remanded former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Correctional Centre after he was arraigned by the Federal Government on corruption charges.
Justice Peter Kekemeke ordered Umar’s remand after he pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and corrupt practices.
According to the Federal Government, Umar abused his position while serving as CCT chairman by obtaining financial benefits from contractors handling projects for the tribunal.
The prosecution alleged that in 2021, the former tribunal chairman received N5.5 million through his wife’s bank account from a contractor awarded a painting contract for the CCT headquarters in Abuja.
It further claimed that on January 25, 2024, he received another N6 million through the same account from a contractor engaged in the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.
Umar was also accused 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.
Following his arraignment, prosecuting counsel Christopher Mshelia asked the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility and fix a date for trial.
However, Umar’s legal team applied for his release on bail pending the hearing of the case.
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.
Justice Kekemeke subsequently adjourned the matter until July 15 to hear the bail application and ordered that Umar be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Umar came under national spotlight in 2019 when, as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, he issued the controversial ex parte order that led to the suspension of the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
The decision paved the way for the swearing-in of Justice Tanko Muhammad as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria by the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Although Onnoghen later resigned from office, Umar proceeded to convict him over alleged false asset declaration, ordered the forfeiture of funds in several bank accounts linked to him and removed him from his positions as Chairman of the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission.
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