The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has threatened to arrest the Chairman of the Code of Conducts Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar.
The Senate Committee on Tuesday reacted angrily as the CCT chairman failed to show up before it for a scheduled hearing over an alleged case of assault involving him.
Anaedoonline.ng recalls the CCT Chairman is being investigated by the Senate over an alleged assault on a security guard in Abuja.
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Umar was spotted in a trending video slapping and kicking a security guard named Clement Sagwak following an altercation between them over the space where the CCT chairman parked his car on the premises of the plaza.
Umar, however, in a statement denied assaulting the security guard.
Segwak went ahead to petition the Senate on the matter through his lawyer, Barrister Timzing Ramnal.
Rather than appear before the lawmakers, Umar’s counsel, Barrister Toluwa Odekhe on Tuesday presented two originating summons to inform the Committee that the alleged assault on Clement Sagwak in March was already before the Court.
He said: “Distinguished Chairman of this committee and other members, I most respectfully on behalf of my client, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal ( CCT), inform you that the matter scheduled for discussion here, is already in court and any move to continue any form of proceedings on it, is subjudice.”
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Responding, the Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure dismissed the originating summons as fruitless ambush and gave Umar up till July 27 to appear before it or risk issuance of a warrant of arrest against him.
Akinyelure added that no arm of government can stop the other from performing its functions, saying any attempt to frustrate the investigation will be rejected.
“From repeated excuses of indisposition given within the last two months, you are now coming up with subjudice to frustrate the Committee from forging ahead with the investigation on assault your client visited on another fellow Nigerian.
“This committee will not be cowed by the purported originating summons because none of the parties went to court before it started its investigation on petition bordering on assaults.
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“Therefore, Danladi Umar, wherever you are on your sickbed, you must appear before this Committee in two weeks time unfailingly to avoid invocation of section 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution which borders on the warrant of arrest.’
Another member of the Committee, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters agreed with Akinyelure.
He told Umar’s lawyer: “Your client, the CCT Chairman himself appeared before this committee at the first summon and begged for time to study the petition filed against him by the innocent Nigerian he alleged assaulted here in Abuja in March.
“Thereafter, it has been excused upon excuses on alleged indisposition for non-appearance of your client before this Committee within the last two months, only for you to come up with purported originating summons from the court today.
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“This is an unacceptable and clear case of ambushing the committee from carrying out its legitimate assignment which had been on before the hurried resort to the court of law.
“Justice must not be denied the petitioner just because he is an ordinary Nigerian since the laws of the land are for everybody and not just for those in high places.
“Tell your client to as ruled by this Committee Chairman, to appear before the Committee unfailingly in two weeks time.”
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