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The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja, on Friday, remanded former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, at Kuje Correctional Centre, over the N2.2 billion fraud charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Trial judge Maryam Hassan ordered the remand of the former minister in prison after EFCC arraigned him on eight counts of fraud and accepting bribes.
Ms Hassan ordered him to remain in custody pending the hearing of his bail application scheduled for Monday.
Mr Ngige, a former governor of Anambra State on the Peoples Democratic Party’s platform from May 2003 to March 2006, served as Nigeria’s labour minister from 2015 to 2023, during the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported that EFCC arrested Mr Ngige at his residence in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the charges subsequently filed against him, the EFCC accused him of awarding seven contracts worth over N366 million “for consultancy, training and supply by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)” to a company, Cezimo Nigeria Limited, belonging to his associate, Ezebinwa Charles.
The prosecution similarly accused him of awarding eight contracts worth over N583 million to another company belonging to Mr Charles.
The EFCC also alleged that the defendant used his position to give preferential treatment, awarding eight contracts worth over N362 million to a company, Jeff & Xris Limited, belonging to Nwosu Chukwunwike.
Other companies he allegedly awarded contracts under controversial circumstances include Olde English Consolidated Limited and Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited, belonging to Uzoma Igbonwa to the sum of N668 million and N161 million respectively.
According to the EFCC, these offences violate section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Also, the anti-graft agency accused Mr Ngige of collecting gratifications from contractors of the NSITF through “his organisation, called Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige Campaign Organisation, from Cezimo Nigeria Limited (Zenith Bank Account Number 1011901119).”
Mr Ngige also allegedly collected N38.6 million from Cezimo Nigeria Limited, N55 million from Zitacom Nigeria Limited and N26 million from Jeff & Xris Limited, said the EFCC.
The offences were said to violate section 17(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and is punishable under section 17(c) of the same Act.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Argument for bail
Following the not-guilty plea, the EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), applied for a trial date and urged the court to remand Mr Ngige at Kuje Custodial Centre.
However, Mr Ngige’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto, also a SAN, noted that the defence team was only informed of the arraignment Thursday and had yet to file an application for the defendant’s bail.
Mr Ikwueto urged the court to give Mr Ngige a conditional bail on health grounds.
He also attempted to move for an oral bail application for the defendant on self-recognition.
But the EFCC’s lawyer noted that the court could not be presented with both a written and oral application. He also noted that Mr Ngige had yet to submit his passport, which was part of his previous bail conditions.
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Mr Ikwueto, however, noted that Mr Ngige’s passport was stolen, and the EFCC had been informed through a letter.
Mr Tahir denied knowing about the report.
Following their submissions, the trial judge, Maryam Hassan, ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned until Monday for hearing of his bail application.
