Ex-CCT Chairman Danladi Umar Remanded In Kuje Prison Over Alleged N13.9Million Bribery, Abuse Of Office

Abuja, Nigeria– A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday ordered the remand of former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, in Kuje Correctional Centre after he was arraigned by the Federal Government on a four-count charge bordering on alleged corruption and abuse of office.

Justice Peter Kekemeke issued the remand order after Umar pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him.

According to the Federal Government, investigations revealed that the former CCT chairman abused his office by allegedly using his wife’s bank account to receive illegal payments from contractors handling projects at the tribunal.

The prosecution alleged that in 2021, Umar received N5.5 million through his wife’s account from a contractor awarded the contract to paint the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja.

The government further accused him of collecting another N6 million on January 25, 2024, through the same account from a contractor responsible for the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.

In another count, the former tribunal chairman was accused of directing a contractor to pay N2.43 million as tuition fees for his daughter 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 unfair advantages on themselves or others.

Following Umar’s plea of not guilty, prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility and fix a date for the commencement of trial.

Counsel to the defendant, however, applied for bail, arguing that Umar should be released pending the determination of the criminal proceedings.

The prosecution opposed an immediate ruling on the bail request, informing the court that 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 hearing of the bail application and ordered that Umar be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the application.

Danladi Umar’s tenure as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal was marked by one of Nigeria’s most controversial judicial episodes.

On January 23, 2019, Umar issued an ex parte order that paved the way for the suspension of the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, over allegations of false asset declaration.

Two days later, on January 25, then-President Muhammadu Buhari swore in the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Muhammad, as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria despite widespread criticism from legal practitioners, opposition parties and civil society groups, who described the move as an assault on judicial independence.

Although Justice Onnoghen voluntarily resigned on April 4, 2019, Umar proceeded to convict him on April 18, 2019, over the asset declaration charges.

The tribunal also ordered the forfeiture of funds in five bank accounts linked to the former CJN and removed him as Chairman of both the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).