N15.5m Fraud Trial: Businessman Details Alleged N6m Transfer to Ex-CCT Chairman’s Wife, N4m School Fees for Children
A businessman, Oluwatayo Solomon Fashogbon, has narrated before an Abuja High Court how he allegedly transferred N6 million to the wife of former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Yakubu Umar, and paid about N4 million in university fees for his two children.
Fashogbon gave the account on Thursday, October 29, 2026, while testifying as the first prosecution witness in the trial of the former tribunal chairman before Justice U. P. Kekemeke of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Umar on a four-count charge bordering on alleged nepotism and conferring corrupt advantage on himself, involving N15,587,833.76.
Testifying under questioning by EFCC counsel, Christopher Mshelia, Fashogbon, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Portal Realities Limited and JTF Global Links Limited, said the N6 million transfer was made on January 25, 2024.
He alleged that Umar called him two days after his company received the fourth payment under a contract awarded by the CCT and instructed him to transfer the money to his wife’s Zenith Bank account.
The witness identified the account beneficiary as Mrs Zulaihatu Danladi Umar.
He explained that the money was transferred from the Wema Bank account of Portal Realities Limited.
Fashogbon further told the court that his company, JTF Global Links Limited, secured a contract worth approximately N140 million from the CCT in September 2021.
According to him, the contract covered the digitalisation of the tribunal’s personnel records, stores, accounts and online filing systems for a period of 12 months.
He disclosed that the company received four instalments under the contract, beginning with approximately N9 million in September 2021, N17 million in December 2021, N16 million in July 2022 and another N17 million on January 23, 2024.
The witness also told the court that he was contacted in October 2024 by Akinola Akanji, the then Deputy Director of Procurement at the CCT, who allegedly conveyed Umar’s request for assistance with the school fees of his two children.
He said he paid approximately N2 million into Baze University’s account for Umar’s son, Yakubu Danladi Umar, using the Jaiz Bank account of Portal Realities Limited.
He added that another payment of about N2 million was made for the defendant’s daughter, Faiza Umar Danladi.
During the hearing, the prosecution presented the CCT contract award letter, which Fashogbon identified through the logos, signatures and dates on the document.
Justice Kekemeke admitted the document in evidence and marked it as Exhibit A.
However, during cross-examination, the witness maintained that his company had the required qualifications and experience to execute government contracts, noting that it had previously undertaken projects for the CCT and other public institutions.
He insisted that the contract was awarded based on the qualifications and documents submitted by his company.
The court adjourned the case until January 20, 2027, for continuation of hearing.
