Court Remands Ex-CCT Chairman Danladi Umar At Kuje Correctional Centre

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama has remanded former Code of Conduct Tribunal chairman Danladi Umar at the Kuje Correctional Centre after his arraignment on corruption charges.

Justice Peter Kekemeke gave the order on Thursday after Umar pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge. The matter was adjourned to July 15 for hearing of his bail application.

The case centres on allegations that Umar used his office as CCT chairman to confer undue advantage on himself. Prosecutors alleged that he received money through his wife’s bank account from contractors who worked for the tribunal and that another contractor paid part of his daughter’s school fees.

Vanguard reported that one allegation involved N5.5 million allegedly collected in 2021 from a contractor engaged to paint the CCT headquarters in Abuja. Another count alleged that N6 million was collected on January 25, 2024, from a contractor who handled the digitisation of CCT records. A further allegation put the school-fee payment at N2.43 million.

Channels TV reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Umar on the four-count charge and that the prosecution asked the court to remand him while a date was fixed for trial.

Umar’s counsel asked the court to take his bail application, but the prosecution said it had just been served and needed time to respond. The court then ordered his remand pending the bail hearing.

Umar previously drew national attention in 2019 as CCT chairman during the proceedings that led to the removal of former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen.

Sources: Vanguard, Channels TV