- Ngige remanded in Kuje Prison as court awaits hearing of his bail application.
- N2.2bn fraud charges include unfair contract advantage and receiving illicit gifts.
- EFCC opposes bail, claiming former minister is a flight risk.
- Court resumes Monday, December 15, for full bail hearing.
Justice Mariam Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has ruled that former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, be taken into custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application.
Ngige appeared in court on Thursday to face an eight-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges border on N2.2 billion fraud, including allegations that he awarded contracts to benefit close associates during his tenure from 2015 to 2023.
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According to the EFCC, the former minister also accepted millions of naira in gifts through various organizations linked to him while he was in office, acts prosecutors say violated public service rules.
Ngige pleaded not guilty to every charge.
However, his bail application could not be heard immediately. The defence team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Patrick Ikweato, served the application too close to the court session. Ikweato pleaded with the court to grant temporary bail on health grounds, arguing that the former minister needed medical attention.
The EFCC, represented by Senior Advocate Sylvanus Tahir, strongly objected. Tahir told the court that Ngige poses a flight risk, saying the Commission would file a formal response to oppose the bail request.
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After listening to both sides, Justice Hassan ruled that the matter be adjourned until Monday, December 15, when the court will properly hear the bail application. Until then, Ngige will remain in Kuje Prison.
As debates continue online, many Nigerians are questioning whether the case reflects genuine anti-corruption efforts or rising political tensions. But legal observers insist the court will be guided strictly by the evidence before it.
In the words of one court official who spoke after the session: “The court is not moved by politics. What matters here is the law and the seriousness of the allegations.”
