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NBA commences inquest into assault of guard by CCT Chairman, Umar
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has questioned the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mr. Danladi Umar over his alleged assault of a security guard.
Umar was caught on camera physically assaulting a security guard at Banex Plaza in Wuse, Abuja on Wednesday, March 31.
In a five-minute video that has gone viral online, the CCT Chairman was seen slapping and kicking the security guard, while police officers suspected to be attached to him were trying to restrain him from attacking the guard.
The crowd around the scene was heard shouting “Go away, go away, oga go inside your car, respect yourself.”
A plastic bottle was seen hauled at his vehicle while the policemen were struggling to calm Mr Danladi.
The voice from the person filming the scene was heard saying “You are not the most powerful person here, they will beat you here”.
However, in a statement signed by Head, Press & Public Relations of the CCT in Abuja, Ibraheem Al-Hassan, the Chairman who narrated his version of the incident, claimed the altercation happened because of parking space.
He claimed the guard was rude to him and threatened him, which triggered the situation. And that it was caused by people he described as “Biafra boys”.
Part of the statement read: “Our attention was drawn to a report from some online publication with a video clip suggesting, Justice Danladi Umar assaulted a security guard at Banex plaza.”
“Unfortunately, yesterday’s altercations started over a parking space, which Chairman met vacant and it was directly opposite a shop he wanted to make a purchase from and fix his phone but when the young Security guard sighted him, he ordered the Chairman not to park his car in that particular empty space, but when the chairman asked why he could not park there, the security guard could not give a convincing reason.”
The statement said the Chairman would have appeared in his official outfit if he had intended to cause trouble or intimidate anyone.
Read also: NBA sues Buhari over IGP’s tenure elongation
He also alleged that a mob consisting of Biafran boys attacked him, destroyed his windscreen and injured him.
However, in a statement issued via its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Rapulu Nduka. on Thursday, April 1, the NBA issued its disapproval, stating that it was unbecoming of Umar, who is a public officer of such a high standing.
“The attention of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has been drawn to the video making the rounds where the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) – Danladi Yakubu Umar was seen, together with his security detail, allegedly assaulting a citizen at Banex Plaza, in Wuse Abuja.
“We understand that this citizen turned out to be a 22-year-old employee of Jul Reliable Guards Services Limited, posted as a security guard to the Plaza and who is now reportedly hospitalised,” the NBA said.
It further stated that the “NBA frowns at any display of naked power by a public officer especially one who, by virtue of his high office, is expected to exhibit a high standard of conduct”.
He stated that the situation became more critical when such conduct involves the head of an agency of government set up to ensure compliance, by public officers, with the Code of Conduct.
“In view of the foregoing, the NBA shall through its relevant committee, investigate the circumstances leading to the altercation, and depending on its findings, will ensure that appropriate action is taken to address this occurrence,” the statement said.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal was set up by Section 20 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, CAP C15, Volume 2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to deal with complaints of corruption by public servants for the breaches of its provisions.
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