By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
An Abuja High Court has remanded a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, to Kuje Correctional Centre over an alleged N2.2 billion contract fraud charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Maryam Hassan, on Friday, December 12, ordered that Ngige be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application, fixed for Monday, December 14.
The former minister pleaded not guilty to the eight-count charge bordering on abuse of office and acceptance of gifts from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) while he served as its supervising minister between September 2015 and May 2023.
After the plea, EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), applied for a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant.
The EFCC’s submission was however, opposed by the defence lead counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), and urged the court to grant his client bail on health grounds, noting that the former minister had been in EFCC custody for three days prior to the arraignment.
Ikwueto said, “The defendant has taken his plea, and your lordship is now in full control of this trial. As I mentioned earlier, the defendant has been in the custody of the EFCC for the past three days, during which the charge was served on him. We can see the charge was filed yesterday and assigned to this court.
“The issue of whether he will be granted bail or not is a right in our Constitution. The defendant is not an unknown person in this country. I don’t think there is anybody in this country who will say they don’t know the defendant. Even from the charge, it was stated that he was a minister of this country.”
The defence council further argued that the allegations were not comparable to terrorism or treason charges that would justify a denial of bail.
Ikwueto said, “It’s not like he ate the ministry’s money or that of NSITF. The trial will start, and we will see how those contracts were awarded. It’s not a terrorism charge or treason offence.”
He also challenged the EFCC’s application, saying the defence was not given time to respond.
“We were not allowed time to file our own counter-affidavit. If the prosecution will give us time, we will,” he added.
Countering the submission, the prosecution noted that the defendant’s alleged offence was not trivial and should not be downplayed by the defence.
He told the court that Ngige failed to return his international passport after he was permitted to travel for medical treatment in October.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter till December 14 and ordered that Ngige be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre.
