A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama has granted bail to Danladi Umar, the former head of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), following his remand in custody last week. Justice Peter Kekemeke set the bail at N100 million, requiring the defendant to provide one surety who owns property within Abuja.
As part of his release terms, Umar must surrender his international passport and is prohibited from traveling abroad without judicial approval. The trial, which concerns four counts of corruption brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is scheduled to commence on October 29.
The EFCC accuses Umar of leveraging his official position to receive illicit payments totaling roughly N15.5 million from various contractors. Allegations include diverting funds through his wife’s bank accounts for painting contracts and the digitization of tribunal records, as well as directing a contractor to cover his daughter’s tuition fees at Baze University. Umar has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Although the prosecution argued against bail, citing potential witness tampering, the court ruled that the EFCC failed to provide evidence that Umar could influence a concluded investigation. This case follows a series of past controversies involving Umar, including his role in the 2019 removal of former Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen and his eventual removal from the CCT chairmanship by the Senate earlier this year.
