By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The defence counsel in an eight-count N2.2 billion contract fraud charge brought against a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), has urged the court to grant him bail because of his deteriorating health condition.
Ikwueto stated this at the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwarimpa, Abuja, on Monday, December 15, during the hearing of arguments on the bail application which was adjourned from Friday, December 12.
When the matter was called for hearing before Justice Maryam Hassan, counsel to the EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), noted that the court had adjourned to enable the prosecution, which was served with the motion for bail on Friday morning, to study the application and file a response.
He, however, informed the court that a response had since been filed.
“The prosecution filed a counter-affidavit to the bail application today, December 15,” he said.
The lead defence counsel, Ikwueto, rose to argue the bail application on behalf of his client and urged the court to grant the application, stressing that the former minister does not pose a flight risk, contrary to the prosecution’s claim.
“The application was filed on December 11, 2025. It is seeking, my Lord, medical relief, which is bail. We rely on your Lordship to consider the application. My Lord, we have a further affidavit of seven paragraphs,” he said.
Addressing the prosecution’s counter-affidavit, Ikwueto said, “My Lord, I can see that the prosecution has filed a counter-affidavit. I ask your Lordship for a little time to address paragraphs eight and nine of the counter-affidavit.
“Paragraphs eight and nine state that the defendant poses a flight risk and that no amount of sureties can prevent him from fleeing abroad and abandoning his trial.”
He argued that although the prosecution alleged that Ngige breached the administrative bail earlier granted to him for a medical trip abroad by failing to return his international passport upon his return, there was documentary evidence showing that the defendant lost his passport in London during the trip.
Ikwueto added that reports were made to the UK Home Office, the Nigerian High Commission in London, and authorities in Abuja regarding the loss of the passport.
He added that nowhere in the counter-affidavit did the EFCC state that it investigated the alleged loss of the passport and found the claim to be false.
The defence counsel argued that, when placed side by side, documentary evidence carries more weight than a sworn affidavit.
Ikwueto also described it as contradictory for the prosecution to claim that the defendant could flee when he did not possess an international passport.
He further contended that if the defendant was a flight risk, he would not have returned to the country after being granted administrative bail.
“The defendant is not a flight risk and has no capacity to leave this country now, despite being a former governor. If he were a flight risk, when he was given his passport in September, he would not have returned,” he said.
The defence counsel further pleaded with the court to consider that the defendant had been unable to access required medical care due to the loss of his passport, which forced him to return to Nigeria instead of
While opposing the application, counsel to the EFCC urged the court to refuse bail, arguing that Ngige had already breached the conditions of an earlier administrative bail.
Tahir noted that although the defendant undertook to return his passport by November 19, he failed to do so.
He said, “From the travel pass, the defendant returned on November 14, but the document was never forwarded to the EFCC. We only saw it here. He did not present himself to the EFCC to report his return, nor did he return his travel document as undertaken.”
The prosecution counsel argued that although the defendant claimed to have lost his passport in London, he returned to Nigeria to swear an affidavit of loss instead of doing so in the United Kingdom.
Justice Hassan, after hearing arguments from both sides, adjourned the matter till Thursday, December 18, for ruling on the bail application.
