Ex-CCT chairman Danladi Umar docked over alleged N15.5m fraud

By Imisioluwa Afunmiso

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday arraigned former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Yakubu Umar, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, over an alleged N15.58 million fraud.

Umar was brought before Justice U.P. Kekemeke on a four-count charge bordering on alleged nepotism and conferment of corrupt advantage on himself while serving as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and Chairman of its Tenders Board.

According to the EFCC, the alleged offences involved payments amounting to N15,587,833.76, which the anti-graft agency said were channelled through companies that executed contracts awarded by the tribunal.

One of the charges alleged that on October 5, 2021, Umar caused the sum of N5.5 million to be paid by Kurchmives International Limited, a subcontractor on a CCT painting contract, into a Keystone Bank account belonging to his wife, Zulaihatu Danladi Umar.

The commission also alleged that on January 25, 2024, he caused another N6 million to be paid into his wife’s Zenith Bank account by Portal Realities Limited, described as a sister company to JTF Global Links Limited, which handled the digitalisation of the tribunal’s management records.

The EFCC maintained that the alleged actions contravened Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which prohibits public officials from conferring corrupt or unfair advantages on themselves.

When the charges were read, the former CCT chairman pleaded not guilty to all four counts.

Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, urged the court to fix a date for trial and order the defendant’s remand in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the case.

However, defence counsel, S. Edward, applied for bail on behalf of the defendant.

Justice Kekemeke adjourned the matter until July 15, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered Umar’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the application.