Ex-CCT chairman arraigned over N15.5m fraud

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 Abuja over an alleged N15.59 million fraud.

Umar was docked before Justice U.P. Kekemeke on a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office, nepotism and conferring corrupt advantage on himself.

According to the EFCC, the former CCT chairman, who also served as chairman of the tribunal’s Tenders Board, allegedly used his office to facilitate payments totalling N15,587,833.76 to his wife through companies that benefited from contracts awarded by the tribunal.

In one of the charges, the anti-graft agency alleged that Umar caused N5.5 million to be paid into his wife, Zulaihatu Danladi Umar’s Keystone Bank account by Kurchmives International Limited, a subcontractor engaged for the internal and external painting of the CCT headquarters.

The commission further alleged that he later facilitated another payment of N6 million into his wife’s Zenith Bank account by Portal Realities Limited, a sister company to JTF Global Links Limited, which was awarded a contract to digitise the tribunal’s records.

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

Umar pleaded not guilty to all four counts when they were read in court.

Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Christopher Mshelia, urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in custody pending the commencement of proceedings.

Counsel to the defendant, S. Edward, however, applied for bail.

Justice Kekemeke adjourned the matter until July 15, 2026, for hearing on the bail application and ordered that Umar be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.