A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Yakubu Umar seeking to stop the Senate from probing him on alleged misconduct. The Court held that as a public officer administering law, he is answerable to the Senate on moral standards.
Analysts say it is a law of equity as those approaching it must come with clean hands.
Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo, in a judgment in the suit, ordered the CCT boss to go and appear before the Senate and answer questions on a public petition brought against him by an aggrieved citizen. The judge held that his case seeking to stop the probe by the Senate lacked merit and was dismissed.
A security man, Clement Sargwak, a 22-year-old employee of Jul Reliable Guards Services Limited, posted to Banex Plaza, in Wuse, Abuja, was alleged to be attacked by Mr Umar in March last year.
He alleged that he was assaulted by Mr Umar and a policeman attached to him after he informed him (Umar) that his car was wrongly parked. Umar was caught in a viral video clip slapping and kicking the security guard following an altercation between them over the space where the CCT chairman parked his car on the premises of the plaza. The CCT, in a statement, on Tuesday, denied the assault allegation, insisting that it was Mr Umar that was assaulted by “some miscreants” who gathered at the scene of the incident. In what appears a bid to justify Mr Umar’s attack on the security guard, the statement stated that Mr Sargwak was ‘rude’ in ordering the CCT chairman to remove his car from the parking space “for no reason”. Mr Umar’s conduct was widely condemned with many Nigerians calling for his prosecution.
Sargwak’s lawyer speaks While on a visit to the plaza on Wednesday that about three police officers in mufti said to be from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command and the Maitama Police Division were interrogating Mr Sargwak behind closed doors. Samuel Ihensekhien, a lawyer to the owners of the plaza who also represents Mr Sargwak, told PREMIUM TIMES that the Police FCT Police Command had taken over the case.
He said, ”It was brought to my attention that on March 29, Mr Sargwak was assaulted and harmed and was on the verge of almost being killed by Mr Danlandi Umar. And he was subsequently taken to the Maitama Police Station. “I was informed that Mr Danladi Umar went to lay a complaint there and they (the police) have taken his (Mr Sargwak’s) statement. I met with the DPO and I brought out the video recordings of what actually happened. ”They (the police) were very surprised, and the DPO saw the footage and immediately ordered he (Sargwak) be released on bail forthwith. He was then handed to the Banex manager and from there he was taken for medication.” Mr Ihenskhien, who was displeased with the treatment Mr Sargwak got from the police, insisted that his client, being the assault victim, “should be treated like the nominal complainant”. He said, “We do not have a problem with the police invite, but with the way the matter has progressed, he has the status as a nominal complainant, because he was the one that was assaulted.