A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has remanded former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
Umar was arraigned on Thursday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office by conferring undue advantage on himself while serving as Chairman of the tribunal.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, prosecuting counsel, Christopher Mshelia, urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.
Umar
Counsel for Umar informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and urged Justice Peter Kekemeke to hear it.
However, the prosecution said it had only just been served with the application and required time to file a response.
Justice Kekemeke subsequently adjourned the matter until July 15, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that Umar be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending its determination.
According to the Federal Government, investigations revealed that Umar abused his office by conferring undue advantage on himself while serving as Chairman of the CCT.
The prosecution alleged that in 2021, he used his wife’s bank account to receive N5.5 million from a contractor engaged to paint the tribunal’s headquarters in Abuja.
It further alleged that on January 25, 2024, he used the same account to collect N6 million from a contractor handling the digitisation of the CCT’s records.
In addition, Umar was accused of directing another contractor to pay N2.43 million as tuition fees for his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.
The alleged offences are said to be punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Umar’s arraignment comes years after his controversial role in the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
On January 23, 2019, while serving as CCT Chairman, Umar issued an ex parte order that paved the way for Onnoghen’s suspension. Two days later, then-President Muhammadu Buhari swore in Justice Tanko Muhammad as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Although Onnoghen resigned on April 4, 2019, Umar proceeded to convict him on April 18, 2019, over allegations of false asset declaration.
He also ordered the forfeiture of funds in five bank accounts belonging to the former CJN and removed him as Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).
