BY: Mohammed Taoheed
Patrick Ayo Akinyelure, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, has revealed that the panel had reopened a case of assault charged against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mr. Danladi Umar.
Recall that Umar was seen in a viral video obtained by Track News Nigeria on March 29, 2021, allegedly assaulting a fellow Nigerian, one Clement Sargwak, who this outlet learnt to be a security guard at the Bannex Plaza in Wuse 2, Abuja.
Seeking a court redress, Sargwak had filed a petition against Umar through his lawyers to the Senate, which was later referred to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition for investigation.
Speaking with Track News Nigeria yesterday in Abuja, Akinyelure said that the case against Umar had been reopened.
According to him: “There was a petition against the CCT Chairman that he assaulted a young Nigerian, Clement Sargwak.
“The Senate believes that nobody is above the law. Both the young and the old voted for us to represent their interest in the National Assembly.
“The CCT chairman infringed on the right of a young Nigerian who had no money to approach the court but brought his petition to the Senate.
“Rather than appear 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 judgment. 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.
The lawmaker said: “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 through the mud.
“Umar has a lot of things to hide. He does not want to face the media because he knows that he has infringed on the rights of a Nigerian.
“Instead of apologising to the victims and his family, and possibly settling the bills of their lawyers, he believes that he could use his position to suppress justice. We will never allow it,” he added.
