Chris Ngige, a former Nigerian Minister of Labour and Employment, was arraigned before an Abuja High Court today by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges relating to an alleged N2.2 billion ($2.8 million) contract fraud. Ngige pleaded not guilty to the eight counts, which border on abuse of office and acceptance of gifts from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) during his tenure as supervising minister between 2015 and 2023.
Following the plea, Justice Maryam Hassan ordered the former minister to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre until Monday, December 14, when his bail application will be heard. The EFCC counsel requested the remand, citing the seriousness of the crimes. However, Ngige’s lead defence counsel opposed the move, citing the former minister’s health issues and arguing that the allegations—which they claim did not involve the outright theft of funds—did not warrant denial of bail, particularly given Ngige’s prominent status as a former public official. The prosecution countered, noting the seriousness of the charges, which carry a minimum five-year prison sentence if proven guilty, and highlighting that Ngige had allegedly failed to return his international passport after a previous medical trip.#efcc
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