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Court asked to stop Tinubu, NASS from sacking Danladi Umar as CCT chair
A Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to restrain President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and others from using the police, Department of State Service, DSS, to stop officials of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, including its chairman, Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar, from performing their official functions.
The police, DSS and others taking instructions from Tinubu as Commander-In-Chief were asked to be barred from inviting, intimidating, investigating or otherwise in any other manner whatsoever subjecting officials of the CCT including Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar to their operations, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.
The ex-parte application is a follow up to a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1796/2024
brought before the court by two groups and an Abuja based lawyer, challenging the legality or otherwise of the move to remove Justice Umar as CCT chairman without following due process of law.
The applicants are Community Rescue Initiative, Toro Concemed Citizens & Relief Foundation and Barrister Nasiru Bala.
The defendants are the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Attorney-General of the Federation, President of the Senate, the Senate, House of Reps Speaker, House of Representatives, NASS Clerk, National Judicial Council, NJC, Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC), Dr. Mainasara Umar Kogo and Abdullahi Usman Bello as 1st to 11th defendants, respectively.
In the ex-parte application filed on their behalf, they asked the Federal High Court for an order of interim injunction restraining the National Judicial Council, NJC, and the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC, from taking any step to swear-in Dr Mainasara Umar Kogo as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The applicants also sought an order
restraining Mainasara Umar Kogo from parading himself or doing anything as the chairman of the CCT or otherwise frustrating, obstructing or hindering the smooth administration as well as discharging the functions of the CCT along with its officials including Justice Umar pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Besides, they want the court to restrain the defendants from recognizing or in any manner whatsoever dealing with Kogo as the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The ex-parte application was predicated on 14 grounds among which are that the substantive suit revolves around the purported removal of the chairman of the CCT being substantively occupied by Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar.
“Being a person substantively occupying the office of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the stake, interest and concern of the said Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar is directly in issue in the substantive suit pending before this Honourable Court along all the interlocutory processes filed by the Plaintiffs/Applicants.
“The Plaintiffs have filed an Originating Summons before this Hon. Court on the 28 November, 2024 seeking in the main a resolution of the validity or legality of the proceedings of the 4th and 6th Defendants conducted on the 20th, 26th November, 2024 and such other dates relating to the matter purportedly removing Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar as the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
“The 1st Defendant has earlier on announced, through separate press releases, the appointment of the 10th and 11th Defendants as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal which office is being substantively occupied by Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar.
“The Plaintiffs have earlier on filed an ex-parte application along with the Motion on Notice counterpart on the 28 November, 2024 wherein they pray for, among other reliefs, an order of this Honourable Court maintaining status-quo between the parties as at 20% November, 2024.
“The Plaintiffs prayer for an order of the Honourable Court maintaining status-quo between the parties in this suit as at 20th November, 2024 as contained on the face of its ex-parte application filed on 28th November, 2024 has been withdrawn and struck-out at its proceedings of 12 December, 2024 leaving the one on the Motion on Notice component pending and served on all the Defendants/Respondents.
“It is also while this matter is pending that the 1st Defendant through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, issued another letter with Ref. No.: SGF. 19/S.24/C.1/T/177 dated 6th January, 2025 purportedly disengaging Hon. Yakubu Danladi Umar as Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal with effect from 26* November, 2024 following the resolution of the 4th and 6th Defendants.
“The 10th Defendant is now parading himself as and laying claim to the office of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal relying on the letter issued to him during the pendency of this action and notwithstanding the fact that he has not been sworn-in by the concerned authorities, has been going to the office of the Code of Conduct situate at Jabi, FCT — Abuja and conducting himself in such a manner that has been frustrating, obstructing and hindering the smooth functions of the Tribunal and its officials including the said Hon. Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar.
“The circumstances of this application as its relates to the substantive suit and the attendant extreme urgency it carries is such that it calls for the invocation of the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court along with the powers, authority and force therein contained to hear and grant this application in the overall interest of justice.
“There is serious need to grant the application pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice in the interest of justice,” parts of the originating summons.
The three plaintiffs are praying the court to restrain the Clerk of the National Assembly from transmitting to President Tinubu, the concurrent resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives which purportedly removed Umar as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
They are also praying the court to stop the President from giving effect to the resolution of the two chambers of the National Assembly, on the grounds that clear provisions of the law, especially the 1999 Constitution were not followed in the purported removal of the CCT boss.
Among others, the plaintiffs are seeking seven declarative reliefs against the president and 10 other defendants.
The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1796/2024, was instituted on their behalf by Mahmoud M. Maidoki Esq., A.G Salisu Esq., Jibrin S. Jibrin Baq., and Abubakar S. Idris Bag.
In faulting the action of the National Assembly, the plaintiffs asked the Federal High Court to determine: “Whether by virtue of the provisions of Sections 1(1) and (3) , 6(5), 153 (1) (e) & (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) as well as Paragraph 13 (a) (vii) and (b) of the Third Schedule thereof, the purported removal of the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal by the 4th Defendant is illegal, void, unconstitutional and of no effect whatsoever same having been made pursuant to the provisions of section 157 (1) of the 1999 Constitution or any other law for that matter.”
They applied for an order restraining the 7th defendant from communicating the resolution’ of the 4th and 6th defendants removing the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in person of Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar to the 1st defendant the removal having been done without following the due process of law.
Plaintiffs also sought another order restraining the 8th and 9th defendants from considering any person including the 10th or 11th defendant for appointment by the 1st defendant and subsequent confirmation by the 4th and 6th defendants during, the subsistence of term of office of Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar.
An Ikeja Special Offences Court has scheduled May 4, 2026, to deliver its ruling on whether an extra-judicial statement made by co-defendant Henry Omoile will be admitted as evidence in the ongoing trial involving former Godwin Emefiele.
The statement in question was allegedly made by Omoile, who is standing trial alongside Emefiele. Presiding judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, fixed the date after both the prosecution and defence teams adopted their final written addresses during a trial-within-trial session.
The hearing is focused on determining whether Omoile’s statement was given voluntarily and is therefore admissible in court.
Emefiele is facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged gratification, corrupt practices, and abuse of office, involving transactions estimated at $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
Omoile, meanwhile, is standing trial on a three-count charge relating to alleged unlawful acceptance of gifts connected to dealings with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Counsel to Omoile, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adeyinka Kotoye, argued that the statement should be rejected on the grounds that it was not voluntarily made. He cited provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, stressing the importance of video-recorded interrogations to ensure transparency.
The defence also raised concerns over possible coercion, inducement, and lack of proper legal representation during the recording of the statement.
Similarly, counsel to Emefiele, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), urged the court to discountenance the statement, arguing under the Evidence Act that any involuntary confession is inadmissible.
However, Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), maintained that the statement was properly obtained in line with legal procedures, adding that although it was not video-recorded, it was made in the presence of Omoile’s lawyer.
He further argued that the contents of the statement do not support claims of coercion, noting that Omoile did not implicate Emefiele and denied the allegations against himself.
After hearing all submissions, Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter for ruling on May 4, 2026, while also fixing June 26 and June 30, 2026, for continuation of the substantive trial.
Nine kingmakers of Ijebu-Ode have been re-invited by the Ogun State Police Command to appear at the command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, next Monday and Tuesday over fresh allegations of bribery and financial inducement in the selection of the new Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland.
The development marks the second time the kingmakers are being summoned by the police on the matter.
Recall that the Ogun State Government, in January 2026, suspended the selection process through a statement signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat.
The suspension followed petitions from security agencies and other stakeholders.
The kingmakers were first invited by the Ogun State Police Command in February over similar accusations of cash inducement. However, the probe was later dropped following the intervention of superior authorities.
In the latest development, the nine kingmakers have been re-invited through a letter dated April 17, 2026, signed by Gbenga Adeoye, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
One of the kingmakers, the Kakanfo of Ijebuland, Chief Abimbola Okenla, confirmed the invitation.
He disclosed that four of them are expected to appear on Monday, April 21, 2026, while the remaining five are scheduled for Tuesday, April 22, 2026.
Chief Okenla described the repeated invitations as a distraction, insisting that the allegations are unfounded.
“It’s true that the Ogun State Police Command has invited the kingmakers to the command’s headquarters in Abeokuta.
Four of us are to be there on Monday while the remaining five will be there on Tuesday,” he said.
“None of us is happy with this frequent invitation by the security agencies over unfounded allegations. The people of Ijebuland are equally not happy about it because it is becoming more of a distraction.”
The Kakanfo appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to allow the kingmakers to conclude the selection process without further delay.
“We are only pleading with Governor Dapo Abiodun to allow the kingmakers to do their job and complete the assignment of picking the next Awujale of Ijebuland without any further delay,” he added.
Parts of the police invitation letter read:
“In continuation of the aforementioned case under investigation, you are kindly requested to report at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on [Monday/Tuesday] April 21/22, 2026 at 1000hrs for an interview with the Commissioner of Police, through the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department.
“This is a fact-finding invitation pursuant to the investigative powers conferred on the Nigeria Police by the combined provisions of Section 214 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Section 4(a) of the Police Act 2020.
“Your presence is therefore required to assist in advancing the course of criminal justice delivery and fairness. Should you require any clarification, kindly contact 08038455857. Please take note that you are at liberty to come along with your lawyer.”
Nigerian-American singer, David Adedeji Adeleke popularly known as Davido has commended Nigerian businessman Aliko Mohammed Dangote for his style of living.
According to him, the owner of Dangote cement is a different kind of billionaire.
He said unlike other billionaires who always buy luxury cars and show off, Mr. Aliko buys two cars every 8 years.
Speaking in an interview, Davido stated that the businessman always tells him to save his money.
“Uncle Aliko is a different kind of a billionaire, Uncle Aliko buys like two cars every 8 years. He is different ” Davido said.
“Anytime he sees me he just says one thing, save your money. There is nothing more he tells me than save your money.” He added.
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