Alleged Assault: Senate Orders Investigation of CCT Chairman

By Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu

The Senate has ordered an immediate investigation into the assault allegations levelled against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct (CCT) Tribunal, Danladi Umar.

This was sequel to a petition brought to that effect at Tuesday plenary by Senator Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau North).

The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, therefore referred the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions headed by Senator Ayo Akinyelure for immediate investigation.

Gyang, while giving a summary of the petition said: “Justice Umar Danladi assaulted him (petitioner), brutalized him and slapped him on the face and asked him to kneel down and, thereby, used his leg to hit him on the chest and inflicted bodily harm on him.”

According to the senator, the petitioner “is asking the Senate to investigate this matter to ascertain the role of the Honourable Justice Danladi in this allegedly unwholesome happening to ensure justice to Mr. Clement Kargwak.”

The security guard, Mr. Clement Kargwak, in the petition to the Senate signed by his lawyer, Timzing Venyir Ramnap, urged the upper chamber to investigate the matter in keeping with its duty of oversight on the Executive and Judicial arms of government.

He also requested the upper chamber to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to take disciplinary action against the CCT Chairman or call on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Alkali Usman, and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to investigate, arrest and prosecute Umar for his actions.

Narrating his experience, Kargwak in his petition to the Senate said: “This whole thing started on the 29th day of March, 2021 at Banex Plaza when Justice Danladi Umar drove into the plaza to do some business transactions. Mr. Clement Kargwak informed us that on that faithful date he was at his duty post at the Banex plaza when a Toyota SUV Jeep with plate number ABC-989-LZ drove into the plaza, when he was busy in the business of directing every vehicle that drove into the plaza to so properly park as directed by the management of the plaza.

“That on sighting Justice Umar Danladi’s car trying to park wrongly, he instructed him to properly park in a space provided by the management of Banex plaza, only for Justice Umar Danladi to come down from the SUV keep with his security men and started assaulting and brutalising him by slapping him on his face, asking him to kneel down and thereby used his leg to hit him on his chest, and thereby inflicting bodily harm on him.

“That the management of the plaza rushed him to the hospital for medical attention where he has been receiving medication.

“That Justice Umar Danladi personally did 99 per cent of the assault and brutality on him as can be seen in a viral video which circulated on social media and is hereby enclosed for your consideration.

“That after the incident, Justice Umar Danladi rushed to Maitama Police Station and reported, which prompted my invitation (petitioner) to the police station by the Maitama Police Station for investigation which he honoured and went with a legal representative of the Banex Plaza who went with a copy of the viral video showing how Justice Umar Danladi perpetrated all the assaults and brutality on him and on watching the video, the DPO of the Maitama Police Station ordered for his bail to be granted and thereafter was taken to the hospital for medication.

“In view of the above scenario on the actions of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (Justice Umar Danladi), we hereby urge the Nigeria Senate to immediately launch an investigation to ascertain the role of the Honourable Justice Umar Danladi in this while happening and ensure Justice for Mr. Clement Kargwak. This is because the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gives the National Assembly the powers of oversight to checkmate the activities of the Executive and Judicial arms of government when either of the two is found culpable.

“We also wish to state that in making your decision on this issue, we wish to remind the Senate that it also has the power to direct the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to take disciplinary action against the Honourable Justice or order the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General of the Federation to investigate, arrest and prosecute Honourable Justice Umar Danladi for his actions.”