A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has granted former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, bail in the sum of N100 million as he faces trial over alleged corruption charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Gatekeepers News reports that Justice Peter Kekemeke granted the bail application on Wednesday after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish that Umar would interfere with witnesses or obstruct the trial. The court ordered the former CCT chairman to produce one surety in like sum, who must own a property in Abuja. Until he meets the bail conditions, Umar will remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The case was adjourned until October 29 for the commencement of trial. Umar was arraigned last week on a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and conferring undue advantage on himself while serving as chairman of the tribunal.
According to the EFCC, Umar allegedly received financial benefits through his wife’s bank account from contractors handling projects for the tribunal. One of the charges accuses him of causing N5.5 million to be paid into his wife’s account by a subcontractor involved in renovation works at the CCT headquarters, while another alleges he received N6 million through the same account from a contractor engaged in the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.
The former CCT chairman pleaded not guilty to all four counts. President Bola Tinubu appointed Mainasara Umar Kogo to replace him as chairman of the tribunal in July 2024, months before the National Assembly called for his removal from office.
