“Ex-CCT Chair Umar Asked Me To Pay ₦6m To His Wife And About ₦2m For His Son’s Fees At Baze University” — Contractor Tells Court In Corruption Trial

A contractor has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, that former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, allegedly asked him to transfer ₦6 million to his wife’s bank account and also assist with the payment of his children’s university fees.

Oluwatayo Fashogbon, Chief Executive Officer of Portal Realities Limited and JTF Global Links Limited, testified on Thursday as the first prosecution witness in Umar’s trial on a four-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged nepotism and conferring corrupt advantage on himself.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, Fashogbon told the court that Umar had asked him in September 2021 to submit his company’s documents to the procurement department of the CCT.

According to the witness, he submitted the documents of JTF Global Links Limited, after which Akinola Akanji, then Deputy Director of Procurement at the tribunal, contacted him.

Fashogbon said Akanji informed him on September 22, 2021, that the contract had been awarded to his company.

“We were given an award letter for the digitalisation of the Code of Conduct Tribunal’s personnel records, stores, accounts, and online filing systems. On the same day, we submitted an acceptance letter,” Fashogbon told the court.

According to him, the 12-month contract was valued at approximately ₦140 million, and his company received four instalments under the agreement.

He said the first payment of about ₦9 million was paid into JTF Global Links Limited’s Stanbic IBTC Bank account in September 2021.

The witness said a second instalment of about ₦17 million was paid on December 18, 2021, while a third payment of approximately ₦16 million was received in July 2022.

Fashogbon said the fourth instalment, amounting to about ₦17 million, was paid on January 23, 2024.

He alleged that two days later, Umar called him and asked him to transfer ₦6 million to the Zenith Bank account of his wife, Zulaihatu Danladi Umar.

“After the fourth payment, on 25th January 2024, Umar Danladi called me and said that I should make a payment of ₦6,000,000.00 to the account of his wife in Zenith Bank, Mrs Zulaihatu Danladi Umar,” he testified.

Fashogbon said the money was transferred from the Wema Bank account of Portal Realities Limited.

He further testified that, in October 2024, Akanji contacted him with another request allegedly made by Umar to assist in paying his children’s university fees.

According to the witness, he paid about ₦2 million into Baze University’s account for Umar’s son, Yakubu Danladi Umar, using the Jaiz Bank account of Portal Realities Limited.

Fashogbon added that he made a similar payment for Umar’s daughter, Faiza Umar Danladi, from the same company account.

The prosecution tendered the contract award letter, which Fashogbon identified through the logos of the tribunal and his company, as well as the signatures and dates on the document.

The court admitted the document in evidence and marked it as Exhibit A.

During cross-examination by defence counsel, S. Edward, Fashogbon maintained that he was qualified to execute public contracts, citing previous engagements with the CCT and other government institutions.

He told the court that his contracts were awarded based on his qualifications and the documents submitted by his companies.

Umar is facing a four-count charge involving an alleged ₦15.59 million benefit.

The allegations remain subject to determination by the court.

The case was adjourned until January 20, 2027, for continuation of hearing.

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