The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has strongly opposed the bail application of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige. The anti-graft agency made its stance known at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja, on Monday, December 15, 2025.
Prosecution's Argument Against Bail
Prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, urged the court, presided over by Justice M.A. Hassan, to exercise extreme caution. He argued that Ngige had violated the terms of an earlier administrative bail granted by the EFCC. The core of the prosecution's objection centred on Ngige's failure to return his international passport after being permitted to travel abroad for medical reasons.
Tahir informed the court that the defendant had undertaken to return the passport by November 19, 2025, but failed to do so until his arrest. The prosecution questioned why Ngige chose to obtain an affidavit of loss in Nigeria instead of in the United Kingdom where the passport was allegedly lost. "What does Nigerian police know about a loss of passport in the UK?" Tahir asked, suggesting the action was not logical.
The EFCC lawyer contended that Ngige was in gross breach of Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. He urged the court to refuse the bail application and instead order an accelerated trial.
Defence Plea and Court Adjournment
In response, the defendant's counsel, Patrick Ikweato, SAN, asked the court to grant his client bail, relying on all the processes filed in support of the application. Justice Hassan, after listening to both sides, adjourned the case to Thursday, December 18, 2025, for a ruling on the bail request.
The Charges Against Ngige
Chris Ngige was arraigned before the court on an eight-count charge related to alleged contract fraud and accepting gifts. The total sum involved in the charges is N2,261,722,535.84 (Two Billion, Two Hundred and Sixty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Twenty-Two Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty-Five Naira, Eighty-Four Kobo). The case continues to draw significant public attention as it involves a former high-ranking government official.
