The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the remand of former Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Chairman Danladi Umar at Kuje Correctional Centre. Justice Peter Kekemeke issued the remand order on Thursday, July 9, 2026, following Umar's arraignment by the Federal Government on four counts of corruption.
Corruption Allegations Against Danladi Umar
Prosecutors alleged that Umar abused his official position to obtain personal financial benefits during his tenure as head of the tribunal. According to the charges, Umar channelled payments from CCT contractors through his wife's bank account on at least two separate occasions. In 2021, he allegedly received N5.5 million in connection with a painting contract at the CCT headquarters in Abuja. On January 25, 2024, a further N6 million was said to have been routed through the same account, this time from a contractor handling the digitisation of the tribunal's records. A third allegation states that Umar directed a contractor to pay N2.43 million directly towards his daughter's tuition fees at Baze University in Abuja.
Court Proceedings and Bail Hearing
Umar entered a plea of not guilty to all four counts. Prosecution counsel Christopher Mshelia subsequently applied for his remand and requested a trial date to be fixed. The defence team countered by seeking bail pending the conclusion of the case. Justice Kekemeke adjourned proceedings to July 15, 2026, to hear the bail application after the prosecution indicated it had only just received the filing and required adequate time to prepare a response.
Legal Framework and Potential Penalties
The offences are said to be punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The charges involve a total of over N11.5 million allegedly received from contractors who worked on CCT projects between 2021 and 2024.
