A prosecution witness on Thursday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that he paid N10 million to the wife and children of former Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) Chairman, Danladi Yakubu Umar, allegedly on the ex-chairman’s instruction. Chief Executive Officer of Portal Realities Limited and JTF Global Links Limited, Oluwatayo Solomon Fashogbon, gave the testimony before Justice U.P. Kekemeke as the first prosecution witness.
Umar is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N15.59 million fraud involving nepotism and conferring corrupt advantage on himself.
Fashogbon told the court that Umar directed him on January 25, 2024, to transfer N6 million into the Zenith Bank account of his wife, Mrs. Zulaihatu Danladi Umar.
He said the payment was made from the Wema Bank account of Portal Realities Limited two days after his company received the fourth instalment of a CCT contract payment.
The witness explained that his company was awarded a contract in September 2021 to digitalise the tribunal’s personnel records, stores, accounts and online filing systems.
He said the contract was worth about N140 million and that his company received four payments between 2021 and January 2024.
Fashogbon further told the court that in October 2024, Umar, through a former Deputy Director of Procurement, Akinola Akanji, requested him to pay the university fees of his two children.
According to him, he paid about N2 million each for Umar’s son, Yakubu Danladi Umar, and daughter, Faiza Umar Danladi, into Baze University from his company’s Jaiz Bank account.
During the hearing, the prosecution tendered the contract award letter, which the witness identified through the CCT logo, company details, signatures and dates.
The court admitted the document as Exhibit A.
Under cross-examination, Fashogbon insisted that his company was qualified to execute the contract and that it was awarded based on merit and the documents submitted.
He also maintained that his companies had previously handled contracts for the CCT and other government institutions. Justice Kekemeke adjourned the case until January 20, 2027, for the continuation of hearing.