Court Grants Ngige  Bail in N2.2bn Fraud Case

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwarinpa has granted bail to former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, in an ongoing corruption trial involving alleged N2.2 billion fraud.

Justice Maryam Hassan, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, allowed Ngige to continue enjoying the terms of the administrative bail previously granted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judge described the conditions as “liberal,” emphasising that bail terms should not be excessively harsh or amount to a denial of bail.

Ngige, a former Anambra State governor and senator, must produce one surety, a federal civil servant at the level of director who owns landed property in the FCT. The surety is required to deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy for the property and their international passport with the court registry.

This is pending Ngige’s retrieval and submission of his own travel documents, which he claims were lost during a trip abroad.

Until the bail conditions are perfected, Ngige is to remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre, where he has been remanded since December 12.

The former Minister was arraigned on December 12 on an eight-count charge marked FCT/HC/CR/726/2025, accusing him of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment while supervising the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) from September 2015 to May 2023 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The EFCC alleges that Ngige conferred unfair advantages on companies linked to his associates by awarding multiple consultancy, training, supply, and construction contracts worth over N2.14 billion. Specific counts include:

Awarding contracts to Cezimo Nigeria Limited, Zitacom Nigeria Limited, Jeff & Xris Limited, Olde English Consolidated Limited, and Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited.

Corruptly receiving monetary gifts, including N38.65 million, N55 million, and N26.13 million channelled through his campaign organisation and scholarship scheme.

Ngige pleaded not guilty to all charges