Court Sends Ex-CCT Chairman To Kuje Prison

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama has remanded the former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.

Justice Peter Kekemeke gave the remand order after Umar was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge of conferring undue advantage on himself while serving as the chairman of the CCT.

It was alleged that in 2021 he used his wife’s bank account to collect N5.5 million from a contractor hired to paint the headquarters of the CCT in Abuja.

The Federal Government further alleged that on January 25, 2024, the defendant also used his wife’s account to collect N6 million from a contractor who handled the digitisation of the CCT’s records.

Also, the defendant was accused of directing another contractor to pay N2.43 million for the tuition fee of his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.

He was said to have committed offences punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecuting counsel, Christopher Mshelia, had prayed the court for a day for trial and that the defendant be remanded at the correctional centre.

But Umar’s counsel informed the court of the bail application filed on behalf of his client and urged the court to take the application

The prosecution insisted that they had just been served with the bail application and would need time to respond

Justice Kekemeke adjourned the matter until 15th July for the hearing of the bail application.

Among the high profile cases which Umar presided over as CCT Chairman were those of former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.