Former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, has been remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre by Justice Maryam Hassan of the FCT High Court, Gwarimpa, following his not guilty plea in a high-profile N2.2 billion contract fraud case.
Justice Hassan ordered that Ngige remain in custody pending the hearing of his bail application scheduled for Monday, December 14, 2025.
Ngige, who served as the supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) between September 2015 and May 2023, is facing eight counts of abuse of office, undue advantage, and receiving gifts from contractors, contrary to the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Details of the Charges
According to the charge dated October 31 and filed by a legal team led by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ngige allegedly used his ministerial position to award multiple inflated contracts to associates and firms linked to them.
Count One alleges that Ngige conferred undue advantage on Cezimo Nigeria Limited, owned by his associate, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles, through the award of seven contracts worth ₦366,470,920.68.
The charge further lists other companies allegedly favoured:
- Zitacom Nigeria Limited – Eight contracts totalling ₦583,682,686.00
- Jeff & Xris Limited – Eight contracts worth ₦362,043,163.16
- Olde English Consolidated Limited – Four contracts totalling ₦668,138,141.00
- Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited – Four contracts worth ₦161,604,625.00
The EFCC maintains that these contract awards, amounting to ₦2,261,722,535.84, were in violation of procurement and anti-corruption laws.
Next Steps
Ngige’s bail application will be heard on Monday, December 14, where he is expected to seek release from the Kuje facility pending trial.
The case has sparked national attention due to his long political career and previous public service roles.
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