COURT REMANDS EX-LABOUR MINISTER NGIGE IN KUJE OVER ALLEGED N2.2BN CONTRACT FRAUD
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday ordered the remand of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, at the Kuje Correctional Centre following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged contract fraud amounting to N2.2 billion.
Ngige, a former governor of Anambra State, pleaded not guilty to an eight-count charge bordering on abuse of office and acceptance of gratification from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) during his tenure as supervising minister between September 2015 and May 2023.
Justice Maryam Hassan, in a brief ruling after the plea was taken, adjourned hearing of the defendant’s bail application to Monday, December 15, and ordered that he be remanded pending the determination of the application.
Following the plea, prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, applied for a trial date and urged the court to remand the former minister in custody, arguing that the charges were serious and carried stiff penalties if proven.
However, defence counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, opposed the application for remand and appealed to the court to grant his client bail on health grounds. He told the court that Ngige had been in EFCC custody for three days prior to his arraignment and required medical attention.
The defence argued that the alleged offences were not capital in nature and did not justify denial of bail, adding that the former minister was a well-known public figure who posed no flight risk.
In response, the EFCC insisted that the offences were grave and accused the defendant of failing to return his international passport after being previously allowed to travel abroad on medical grounds. The prosecution maintained that Ngige posed a flight risk and urged the court to remand him in custody.
The defence countered that the passport was stolen during the defendant’s trip and that he returned to Nigeria using a travel certificate, a claim the prosecution said was not supported by documents before it.
After listening to arguments from both sides, Justice Hassan adjourned the matter to December 15 for hearing of the bail application and ordered that Ngige be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The case continues.
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