The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, July 9, 2026, arraigned Danladi Yakubu Umar, former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, before Justice U. P. Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, for fraud.
The defendant, who was also the Tribunal’s Tenders Board chairman, was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on nepotism, conferment of corrupt advantage to self, to the tune of N15,587,833.76 (Fifteen Million, Five Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Three Naira, Seventy-Six Kobo).
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Danladi Yakubu Umar, while serving as the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal Tenders Board, on or about the 5th day of October, 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did confer upon yourself a corrupt and unfair advantage by causing the sum of N5,500,000.00 (Five Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) to be paid to your wife, Zulaihatu Danladi Umar, through her Keystone Bank Account No. 6031167105 by Kurchmives International Limited, a sub-contractor under the contract awarded by the Code of Conduct Tribunal to Momanaf Global Ventures Limited for Internal and External painting of the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under the same section.”
Count two reads: “That you, Danladi Yakubu Umar, while serving as the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal Tenders Board, on or about the 25th day of January, 2024, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did confer upon yourself a corrupt and unfair advantage by causing the sum of N6,000,000.00 (Six Million Naira only) to be paid to your wife, Zulaihatu Danladi Umar, through her Zenith Bank Account No. 2085458208 by Portal Realities Limited a sister Company of JTF Global Links Limited, a company which was awarded the contract for the digitalization of the Code of Conduct Tribunal management records by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under the same section.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, to ask the court for a trial date and to remand the defendant in Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, while the defence counsel, S. Edward, applied for the defendant’s bail.
The judge adjourned the matter till July 15, 2026, for hearing on the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
