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By Victor Osula, Abuja
A former Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) president, Danladi Umar, was detained in Kuje Correctional Center on Thursday after the Federal Government arraigned him in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, on four charges of alleged abuse of office involving $13.93 million in illicit payments by contractors.
Judge Peter Kekemeke ordered Umar remanded in custody after he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court adjourned the proceedings to July 15, 2026, to consider his bail application after the prosecution requested time to respond to the motion.
The former CCT president is accused of using his office to obtain financial benefits from contractors who were awarded projects by the court during his tenure.
According to the indictment, Umar received 5.5 million naira through his wife’s bank account in 2021 from a contractor engaged to repaint the CCT headquarters in Abuja.
The indictment further alleged that on January 25, 2024, he again used the same account to collect $6 million from a contractor digitizing court records.
In a separate tally, the government said Umar instructed another contractor to pay 2.43 million naira directly to Baze University, Abuja, as tuition fees for his daughter.
The federal government said the actions amounted to conferring on itself an unfair advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act, 2000.
At the start of the proceedings, prosecuting counsel, Christopher Mshelia, informed the court that the accused had been formally charged and urged Judge Kekemeke to detain him in a correctional facility pending trial.
The defense lawyer, however, requested bail, arguing that Umar had the right to remain at liberty during the trial.
In response, the prosecution said it had just been served with the bail application and needed time to file a formal response.
Justice Kekemeke then adjourned the matter to July 15 for hearing on the bail application and ordered that the former presiding judge be detained at Kuje Correctional Centre.
Umar’s accusation comes years after he presided over one of Nigeria’s most controversial judicial proceedings: the trial of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.
On January 23, 2019, Umar issued the ex parte order that paved the way for the suspension of Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Acting on the order, then President Muhammadu Buhari suspended Onnoghen and, on January 25, 2019, inaugurated Justice Tanko Muhammad as the acting CJN.
Although Onnoghen resigned on April 4, 2019, Umar proceeded to deliver judgment on April 18, 2019, convicting the former CJN of false declaration of assets.
The court also ordered the confiscation of funds in five bank accounts linked to Onnoghen and removed him as chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC).
Thursday’s hearing marks a dramatic reversal for Umar, who once headed the tribunal responsible for enforcing the Code of Conduct regime against public officials but is now on trial on charges of personally benefiting from contracts executed under his watch.
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