The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has finally granted the embattled former Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, liberal bail over alleged N2.2 billion fraud charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan on Thursday adopted the administrative bail earlier granted Ngige by the EFCC on self-recognizance but ordered him to produce “a director in the federal government” as surety. The surety must own landed property in the FCT, deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy, and submit an international passport to the court.
Pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions, Ngige is to remain in Kuje Correctional Centre.
Ruling on the application, Justice Hassan held that the charges were bailable and stressed that “the Constitution presumes the defendant innocent until the contrary is proved.” She warned courts against “outlandish, excessive, harsh, and stringent bail conditions,” noting that such could amount to a refusal of bail.
Ngige, a former Anambra State governor, was arraigned on December 12 on an eight-count charge bordering on corrupt practices, to which he pleaded not guilty. His counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, argued for bail, while EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, opposed it, alleging that Ngige violated an earlier administrative bail.
The EFCC accused Ngige of abusing his position as supervising minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) between 2015 and 2023 to award contracts worth hundreds of millions of naira to companies linked to his associates and of corruptly receiving cash gifts through campaign and scholarship organizations.
Justice Hassan has fixed January 28 and 29 for the commencement of trial.
