Court Orders Ngige Remanded at Kuje as Bail Ruling Is Set for December 18
A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwarimpa, Abuja, has ordered the remand of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending a decision on his bail application.
Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan gave the directive on Monday after listening to submissions from both the defence and the prosecution on whether the former Anambra State governor should be granted bail. The court adjourned the matter to December 18 for its ruling.
Ngige’s lead counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, urged the court to grant bail, citing health concerns and assuring that his client would neither abscond nor interfere with witnesses.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), however, opposed the application. Its counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, told the court that Ngige posed a flight risk, alleging that he failed to report back after being granted administrative bail and permission to travel abroad for medical treatment. The prosecution also claimed that Ngige did not return his international passport and only alleged its loss after his re-arrest.
Describing the bail request as baseless, the EFCC asked the court to dismiss it.
Ngige was arraigned last Friday on an eight-count charge relating to alleged N2.2 billion contract fraud and the acceptance of gifts from contractors linked to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) during his tenure as supervising minister between 2015 and 2023.
