The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of the former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar in the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The decision was taken on Thursday when the court heard the alleged corruption charges against Umar, it was reported.
Justice Kekemeke ordered the remand after the federal government arraigned the former CCT boss on four counts of corruption.
The federal government said its investigations found the defendant had abused his official position to confer on himself an undue advantage when he was head of the tribunal.
He was charged with using his wife’s bank account to collect the sum of ₦5.5 million from a contractor hired to paint the headquarters of the CCT in Abuja in 2021.
The federal government further alleged that on January 25, 2024, the defendant also collected ₦6 million from a contractor that handled the digitization of the CCT’s records using his wife’s account.
The defendant was also accused of ordering another contractor to pay ₦2.43 million as tuition fees for his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.
He was believed to have committed offences that are punishable under section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Umar, however, denied the charges.
The prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, after his plea applied for his remand in a correctional facility while urging the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
However, the defendant through his legal team, pleaded with the court to grant him bail pending the determination of the case.
Justice Kekemeke then adjourned the case till July 15 for the defendant’s application for bail.
Remember in 2024, the Senate fired Danladi Umar as the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The sack of Umar comes after the closed-door session of the lawmakers where the lawmakers approved the sack of the embattled CCT Chairman.
More than 84 senators supported the move to remove Umar from office, the Senate said.
The Senate relied on section 157 (1) of the 1999 constitution which provides that two-third of the membership of the Senate can remove the head of any statutory body alleged to have indulged in gross misconduct and misdemeanor in office.
The lawmakers had earlier adjourned into an executive session to deliberate on the allegations against Umar after a motion was moved on the Order Paper by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.
It was tagged, “Invocation of the provision of Section 157 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended for the removal of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.”
The Senator observed that the CCT boss had not met the required standard of a public officer to run the affairs of such a Tribunal.
He said the lawmakers have received a series of petitions, complaints and allegations of corruption and misbehaviour against the chairman.