A former Chairman of the Code of Conduct (CCC) Tribunal, Danladi Umar, on Wednesday, secured a ₦100 million bail from the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
Justice Peter Kekemeke admitted Umar to bail in the sum of ₦100 million with one surety in like sum.
The judge ordered that the surety must own landed property covered by a valid Certificate of Occupancy and directed that the defendant should remain in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
The court adjourned the case until October 29, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Umar is facing a four-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations that he conferred corrupt and unfair advantage on himself while serving as Chairman of the CCT.
He pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
Arguing the bail application, defence counsel, Sunday Edward, urged the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms, submitting that Umar had earlier been granted administrative bail by the EFCC and never breached its conditions.
Edward also told the court that the former CCT chairman honoured all invitations extended to him by the anti-graft agency throughout the investigation.
The prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, opposed the application, arguing that Umar was a flight risk and could interfere with prosecution witnesses, some of whom served under him during his tenure as CCT chairman.
However, Justice Kekemeke held that the prosecution failed to establish that the defendant was likely to abscond or interfere with witnesses if admitted to bail and consequently granted the application.
The Federal Government, through the EFCC, had on July 9 arraigned Umar on allegations that he had abused his office by causing contractors handling projects for the tribunal to make payments to members of his family.
According to the charge, the former CCT chairman allegedly procured the payment of ₦5.5 million to his wife by a subcontractor handling the painting of the tribunal’s headquarters in 2021 and another ₦6 million to her by a company linked to a contractor awarded a digitalisation contract in 2024.
The EFCC also alleged that Umar caused the same company to pay ₦2,043,916.88 each as tuition fees for his son and daughter at Baze University, maintaining that the payments amounted to conferring corrupt and unfair advantage on himself contrary to the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
At his arraignment last week, Umar pleaded not guilty to all four counts and was remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his bail application.
The PUNCH