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Ex-CCT Chairman Danladi Umar Sent to Kuje Prison After Arraignment on Four Corruption Counts
Former Code of Conduct Tribunal Chairman Danladi Umar has been remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre after his arraignment on four alleged corruption charges, with the court fixing July 15 to hear his bail application.
Former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, has been remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre after a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama arraigned him on four alleged corruption-related offences.
Justice Peter Kekemeke ordered Umar’s remand on Thursday after the Federal Government accused him of abusing his office to obtain financial benefits while serving as chairman of the tribunal.
According to the prosecution, Umar allegedly received ₦5.5 million through his wife’s bank account in 2021 from a contractor awarded the contract to repaint the CCT headquarters in Abuja.
The government also alleged that on January 25, 2024, he collected another ₦6 million through the same account from a contractor handling the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.
In addition, the prosecution claimed Umar instructed another contractor to pay ₦2.43 million for his daughter’s tuition at Baze University in Abuja.
The charges were brought under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The former tribunal chairman denied all the allegations and entered a plea of not guilty.
Following the plea, prosecuting counsel Christopher Mshelia asked the court to remand the defendant pending trial.
The defence, however, sought his release on bail.
The prosecution objected to the request, stating that it had only just received the bail application and needed time to respond.
Justice Kekemeke thereafter adjourned proceedings until July 15 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered Umar’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Umar is widely known for his role in the 2019 removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, after issuing an ex parte order that paved the way for his suspension.
Following that decision, then President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Justice Tanko Muhammad as Acting CJN.
Despite Onnoghen’s subsequent resignation, Umar later convicted the former CJN over alleged false asset declaration, ordered the forfeiture of funds in five bank accounts and removed him from leading both the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission.
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