Toyyibat Qasim
A prosecution witness has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, how he allegedly transferred ₦6 million to the wife of former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Yakubu Umar, and paid approximately ₦4 million in university fees for his two children.
The witness, Oluwatayo Solomon Fashogbon, said the payments were made following requests he attributed to Umar, who is standing trial over allegations of nepotism and conferring corrupt advantage on himself in transactions involving ₦15,587,833.76.
Fashogbon, the Chief Executive Officer of Portal Realities Limited and JTF Global Links Limited, gave the testimony on Thursday while appearing as the first prosecution witness in the case before Justice U.P. Kekemeke.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed a four-count charge against the former tribunal chairman.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, the witness told the court that he transferred ₦6 million to the Zenith Bank account of Umar’s wife, Zulaihatu Danladi Umar, on January 25, 2024.
According to him, the payment was made two days after his company received the fourth instalment of payment under a contract awarded by the tribunal.
“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,” Fashogbon told the court.
He said the money was transferred from the Wema Bank account of Portal Realities Limited.
The witness also narrated how he allegedly facilitated the payment of university fees for Umar’s two children after receiving a request through a tribunal official.
Fashogbon said that in October 2024, an official of the tribunal, Akinola Akanji, contacted him, informing him that Umar wanted him to assist with the school fees of his children.
“In October 2024, Mr Akinola Akanji called me that Umar Danladi asked him to inform me to help him pay his two children’s school fees,” he said.
He told the court that approximately ₦2 million was paid into the account of Baze University for Umar’s son, Yakubu Danladi Umar, using the Jaiz Bank account of Portal Realities Limited.
He added that a similar amount was paid for Umar’s daughter, Faiza Umar Danladi, through the same company account.
The alleged payments formed part of the transactions presented by the prosecution in support of its case against the former CCT chairman.
Fashogbon told the court that the transactions followed a contract awarded to JTF Global Links Limited in September 2021 for the digitalisation of the tribunal’s personnel records, stores, accounts and online filing systems.
According to him, Umar had asked him to visit the tribunal’s Procurement Department and submit his company’s documents for consideration.
He said he subsequently submitted the documents, after which the then Deputy Director of Procurement, Akanji, contacted him on September 22, 2021, to inform him that the contract had been awarded to his company.
The witness said the contract, valued at approximately ₦140 million, was expected to run for 12 months.
“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,” he said.
Fashogbon further told the court that his company received four instalments under the contract, with the payments made into JTF Global Links Limited’s Stanbic IBTC Bank account.
He said the first instalment, amounting to approximately ₦9 million, was paid in September 2021.
The second payment of about ₦17 million followed on December 18, 2021, while the third instalment of approximately ₦16 million was received in July 2022.
According to the witness, the fourth payment, estimated at ₦17 million, was received on January 23, 2024.
He said the transfer of ₦6 million to Umar’s wife followed two days later.
The testimony provided the prosecution with an account of the sequence of contract payments and the subsequent transfers allegedly made at the request of the former tribunal chairman.
During the proceedings, the prosecution sought to tender the contract award letter as evidence.
Fashogbon identified the document, telling the court that he recognised it by the logos of the tribunal and his company, as well as the signature and dates appearing on it.
Justice Kekemeke admitted the document in evidence and marked it as Exhibit A.
The document is expected to form part of the evidence the prosecution will rely on in establishing its allegations against Umar.
The former tribunal chairman is facing four counts bordering on alleged nepotism and the conferment of corrupt advantage on himself, involving ₦15,587,833.76..
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