The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, 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 alleged corruption charges.
Justice Peter Kekemeke ordered Umar’s remand following his arraignment on a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and receipt of undue benefits while serving as chairman of the tribunal.
According to the prosecution, investigations revealed that Umar allegedly used his office to obtain personal benefits from contractors engaged by the CCT. The Federal Government alleged that in 2021, he received ₦5.5 million through his wife’s bank account from a contractor awarded the contract to paint the tribunal’s headquarters in Abuja. Prosecutors further claimed that on January 25, 2024, another contractor handling the digitisation of CCT records paid ₦6 million into the same account.
Umar was also accused of directing a contractor to pay ₦2.43 million for his daughter’s tuition at Baze University, Abuja. The alleged offences are said to contravene Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which prohibits public officers from using their positions to confer corrupt or undue advantages on themselves or others.
After the charges were read, Umar pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, urged the court to remand the former CCT chairman and fix a date for trial.
The defence, led by senior lawyer Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), applied for bail, arguing that the defendant was prepared to stand trial and posed no flight risk. However, the prosecution opposed the application, stating it had only just been served with the bail motion and required time to file a response.
Justice Kekemeke subsequently adjourned the matter until July 15 for the hearing of the bail application and ordered Umar’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his bail request.
Danladi Umar served as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal for more than a decade and presided over several high-profile cases involving public office holders, including the trial of former Senate President Bukola Saraki. His tenure at the tribunal was marked by repeated controversies and allegations of misconduct before his eventual removal from office.