EFCC Arraigns Ex-CCT Chairman Umar Over Alleged N15.6m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Yakubu Umar, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, over alleged abuse of office and corrupt enrichment involving N15.59m.

Umar was arraigned on Thursday before Justice U. P. Kekemeke on a four-count charge bordering on nepotism and allegedly conferring 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 allegedly channelled to the defendant through his wife in connection with contracts awarded by the tribunal.

One of the charges alleged that on October 5, 2021, Umar caused the payment of N5.5m to his wife, Zulaihatu Danladi Umar, through her Keystone Bank account by Kurchmives International Limited, a subcontractor engaged in the painting of the Code of Conduct Tribunal headquarters.

The anti-graft agency also accused him of causing another payment of N6 million on January 25, 2024, to his wife’s Zenith Bank account through Portal Realities Limited, a sister company of JTF Global Links Limited, which was awarded a contract for the digitalisation of the tribunal’s management records.

The EFCC said the alleged actions violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

When the charges were read in court, Umar pleaded not guilty.

Following his plea, EFCC 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 his client’s bail.

Justice Kekemeke adjourned the case until July 15, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered that Umar be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the court’s decision on his bail request.