A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwarinpa, Abuja, has ordered a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, to continue to enjoy the administrative bail earlier granted him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, albeit with fresh conditions.
Justice Maryam Hassan gave the order on Thursday while ruling on the bail application filed by Ngige and argued by his lead counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN).
The court directed Ngige to produce a surety who must be a serving director in the Federal Government and own a landed property within the Federal Capital Territory. The surety is also required to deposit the title documents of the property, along with his travel documents, with the court.
Justice Hassan further ordered that Ngige be barred from travelling outside the country, pending the retrieval of his international passport, which he claimed was stolen in the United Kingdom.
Although the EFCC had earlier granted Ngige administrative bail on self-recognition, the court ruled that he should remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
Ngige is facing eight counts bordering on alleged contract fraud to the tune of N2.2bn.
He is the sole defendant in the charge marked FCT/HC/CR/726/2025, filed on December 9 by the EFCC.
According to the prosecution, led by EFCC counsel Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), the former minister allegedly received N2.2bn as kickbacks from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund while serving as supervising minister between September 2015 and May 2023 under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ngige was arraigned on December 12 and pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
At the hearing of the bail application on December 15, the EFCC urged the court to deny bail, alleging that Ngige violated the terms of an earlier bail by failing to return his travel documents and refusing to report to the commission until he was re-arrested.
However, Ngige’s counsel countered the arguments, urging the court to grant bail on health grounds and stressing that the offences were bailable and not capital in nature.
In her ruling, Justice Hassan held that the offences were bailable and reaffirmed the constitutional presumption of innocence.
The judge cautioned against imposing excessive or overly stringent bail conditions, noting that such could amount to a denial of bail, and consequently granted bail on liberal terms.
The matter was adjourned to January 28 and 29 for trial.
