Alleged Corruption: Court Orders Remand Of Ngige In Prison, Adjourns Bail Hearing

Former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, has been ordered to be remanded in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre until his bail application is heard.

Justice Mariam Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court issued the remand order on Friday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the former Anambra State governor on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged N2.2bn corruption.

The court fixed Monday, December 15, for the hearing of the bail application.

Earlier on Friday, EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, urged the court to set a date for the commencement of trial and to allow the anti-graft agency to keep the defendant in its custody pending the bail proceedings.

But, Ngige’s counsel opposed the request, arguing that the ex-minister had already spent three days in EFCC detention.

He added that Ngige, a well-known public figure who served in government until about a year and three months ago, posed no flight risk. He also told the court that his client was in poor health and needed medical care.

Ngige arrived at the court premises around 8:10 a.m, accompanied by EFCC operatives.

According to the charge sheet, marked FCT/HC/CR/726/2025 and dated October 31 but filed on December 9, all alleged offences were committed during Ngige’s tenure as Minister of Labour under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

LEADERSHIP reports that, in one of the counts, Ngige was accused of abusing his office between September 2015 and May 2023 as the supervising minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), by allegedly giving undue advantage to Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a firm owned by his associate, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles.

The NSITF reportedly awarded seven consultancy, training, and supply contracts to the company worth ₦366,470,920.68.

Similarly, he favoured another associate, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles, through Zitacom Nigeria Limited, which received eight NSITF contracts valued at ₦583,682,686.

In further counts, Ngige was alleged to have extended similar preferential treatment to Jeff & Xris Limited and Olde English Consolidated Limited, companies linked to his associates, through multiple consultancy, training, supply, and construction contracts running into several hundreds of millions of naira.

The former minister pleaded not guilty to all charges, and the court ordered that he remain in Kuje custody until the bail application is heard on Monday.