The Access to Justice (A2Justice) group has demanded the immediate removal of Danladi Umar as chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for alleged abuse of power.

Umar was caught on video hitting a security man who had told him his vehicle was parked in the wrong space at a popular plaza in Abuja.

In his defence, Ibraheem Al-Hassan, CCT spokesperson, said the guard was rude and could not provide a reasonable explanation why Umar should not park in the said space.

Joseph Otteh, A2Justice convener, said on Saturday that the assault of the guard is “indefensible and callous, and is a naked and unbridled abuse of power.”

“Unfortunately, the police have failed to arrest and charge Danladi Umar for assault, signaling once again, the deep flaws and dysfunctionalities of Nigeria’s law enforcement institutions,” he added via a statement.

“Mr. Umar’s conduct has considerably ridiculed and diminished both himself and the Judiciary in Nigeria, but this is not the first time he has exhibited rash, pugnacious character.

“His behaviour is indecorous, unfitting for a judicial officer, an affront to norms of civil behaviour, more so, that
expected of a public officer and hugely incompatible with the professional standards of a judicial officer.”

The group asked the CCT chairman to resign and if he fails to do so, “the Presidency (should) immediately remove Mr. Danladi Umar from office after disciplinary proceedings.”

“The National Judicial Council (NJC), led by the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, on behalf of the Nigerian Judiciary, should demand the immediate removal of Danladi from office by the Presidency, given how his conduct has further tarnished the image of the Judiciary,” it said.

TodayNG