Assault: You have case to answer, Senate panel tells CCT boss

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has reopened a petition levelled against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mr. Danladi Umar, over alleged assault of Mr Clement Sargwak, a security guard.

Sargwak had petitioned the Senate, alleging that he was assaulted by Mr Umar and a policeman attached to him after he informed him (Umar) that his car was wrongly parked at Banex Plaza, Wuse 2, Abuja, on March 29, 2021.

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The CCT chairman appeared before the Senate committee probing the assault case once but shunned several other invitations.

He had told the committee through his lawyers that he was already in court to stop the investigation.

But the court gave a declarative judgment on the matter, saying the Senate had the locus standi to proceed with the case.

Briefing newsmen on Wednesday on the case, the Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo), said the panel reopened the case against Umar after the court’s judgment.

He said, “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 judgement. 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.

“Danladi Umar is trying to fool the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we will never allow our name to be dragged in the mud.

“Umar has a lot of things to hide, he does not want to face the press because he knows that he has infringed on the rights of a Nigerian.

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