An Abuja High Court has remanded the former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre following his arraignment on a four-count corruption charge filed by the Federal Government.
Justice Peter Kekemeke issued the remand order on Thursday after Umar was formally arraigned on charges bordering on alleged abuse of office.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until July 15, 2026, to hear the defendant’s bail application.
The prosecution, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accused the former CCT chairman of abusing his office by allegedly receiving financial benefits from contractors engaged by the tribunal.
According to the charge, the EFCC alleged that in 2021 Umar used his wife’s bank account to receive N5.5 million from a contractor awarded the contract to repaint the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja.
The anti-graft agency further alleged that on January 25, 2024, the defendant again used the same account to receive N6 million from another contractor responsible for the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.
The prosecution also alleged that Umar directed another contractor to pay N2.43 million as tuition fees for his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.
The alleged offences are said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
When the charges were read, Umar pleaded not guilty to all four counts.
During the proceedings, counsel to the EFCC, Christopher Mshelia, urged the court to remand the defendant in custody and fix a date for the commencement of trial.
However, defence counsel, Sunday Edward, applied for bail on behalf of his client, asking the court to grant his release pending the determination of the case.
After listening to both parties, Justice Kekemeke ordered Umar’s remand at the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre and fixed July 15, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.
The case is expected to proceed after the court determines the bail request, while the allegations against the former tribunal chairman remain subject to judicial determination.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
