A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama has remanded the former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Correctional Centre following his arraignment on alleged corruption charges.
Justice Peter Kekemeke ordered Umar’s remand on Thursday after the Federal Government arraigned him on a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and corruption.
According to the prosecution, investigations revealed that Umar abused his official position by conferring undue advantage on himself during his tenure as Chairman of the CCT.
The Federal Government alleged that in 2021, Umar used his wife’s bank account to receive N5.5 million from a contractor engaged to repaint the tribunal’s headquarters in Abuja.
He was further accused of using the same account on January 25, 2024, to collect an additional N6 million from a contractor responsible for the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.
The prosecution also alleged that Umar instructed 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 pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, asked the court to remand the former CCT chairman in a correctional facility pending trial.
However, Umar’s legal team applied for bail, urging the court to release him while the case is being determined.
Opposing the application, the prosecution informed the court that it had only just been served with the bail request 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 Umar’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Danladi Umar served as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and was at the centre of the 2019 judicial controversy that followed his ex parte order suspending then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, over alleged false asset declaration.
