A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwarinpa, Abuja, has granted bail to former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, in an alleged ₦2.2bn fraud case, with his trial scheduled to commence on January 28.
Justice Maryam Hassan, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, ordered that Ngige should continue to enjoy the administrative bail earlier granted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but with additional conditions. The ruling followed a bail application argued by Ngige’s lead counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN).
The court directed Ngige to provide 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 to deposit the property’s title documents, as well as their travel documents, with the court.
Justice Hassan also barred Ngige from travelling outside the country, pending the retrieval of his international passport, which the former minister claimed was stolen during a visit to 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 until all bail conditions are fully met.
Ngige is standing trial on eight counts of alleged contract fraud amounting to ₦2.2bn. He is the sole defendant in the charge marked FCT/HC/CR/726/2025, filed by the EFCC on December 9.
According to the prosecution, led by EFCC counsel Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), Ngige allegedly received ₦2.2bn in kickbacks from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund while serving as supervising minister between September 2015 and May 2023 under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former minister was arraigned on December 12 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. During the bail hearing on December 15, the EFCC opposed the application, alleging that Ngige violated earlier bail terms by failing to return his travel documents and refusing to report to the commission until he was re-arrested.
However, Ngige’s legal team urged the court to grant bail on health grounds, arguing that the offences were bailable and not capital in nature.
In her ruling, Justice Hassan held that the charges were bailable and reaffirmed the constitutional presumption of innocence. She cautioned against imposing excessive bail conditions that could amount to a denial of bail and consequently granted the application on liberal terms.
The case was adjourned to January 28 and 29 for the commencement of trial.
