Assault: CCT chairman shuns senate invitation, appeals judgment approving probe

Danladi Umar, chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), says he has appealed a court judgment which gave right to the senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions to probe a case of assault levelled against him.

In March 2021, Umar was caught on video hitting a security man who had told him his vehicle was parked in the wrong space at a plaza in Abuja.

In his defence, Ibraheem Al-Hassan, former CCT spokesperson, said the guard was rude and could not provide a reasonable explanation why Umar should not park in the said space.

The senate committee on ethics had invited Umar over the incident, following a petition submitted to the committee.

But Umar had instituted a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/671/2021, praying the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the senate, its members, and agents from conducting an investigation into the case.

However, in a judgment delivered in April 2022, Inyang Ekwo, judge of a federal high court, held that section 88 of the 1999 constitution, as amended, gives the senate the power to investigate any public officer accused of misconduct.

Addressing journalists on the issue on Wednesday, Ayo Akinyelure, chairman of the senate panel, said the case against Umar had been reopened.

He, however, said the CCT chairman had vowed not to appear before the panel, adding that Umar said he has appealed the court’s verdict.

“There was a petition against the CCT chairman that he assaulted a young Nigerian, Sargwak,” Akinyelure said.

“The senate believes that nobody is above the law. Both the young and the old voted for us to represent their interest in the national assembly.

“The CCT chairman infringed on the right of a young Nigerian who had no money to approach the court, brought his petition to the senate.

“Rather than appearing before our committee, Umar went to court claiming that the senate had no right to put him on trial.

“The senate suspended the hearing on the matter till the outcome of the judgment. The high court has now ruled the senate has the right to continue the case.

“The senate decided to reopen the case because it was a declarative judgment. He was to appear before us today, but instead, came with court papers claiming that he had appealed the judgment.

“He has now told us, through his lawyer, that he will never appear before the senate committee because the matter is already before the court of appeal.

“Instead of apologising to the victim and his family, and possibly settle the bills of their lawyers, he believes that he could use his position to suppress justice. We will never allow it.”