Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has been ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center, on the orders of Justice Mariam Hassan of the Federal High Court at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He began facing charges for alleged N2 billion corruption charge on Friday during his term as Minister of Labour and Employment and the Supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
Ngige will remain in Kuje Correctional Centre until Monday, December 15, when his bail application will be heard.
In the charge marked: FCT/HC/CR/726/2025, the former minister in count one was alleged to have used his position as Minister of Labour and Employment and the Supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), “to confer an unfair advantage upon Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles is your associate, by the award of Seven different contracts for consultancy, training and supply by the NSITF to the said company to the tune of N366,470,920.68 among other charges”.
The ex-minister, however, pleaded not guilty to all the eighth-count charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, his bail application could not be taken as it was served on the prosecution shortly before the court proceeded.
His lead counsel, Patrick Ikweato (SAN), pleaded with the court to admit the former minister on health grounds, pending the hearing of the bail.
But the request was opposed by EFCC’s Counsel Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), on claims that the former Minister was a flight risk, adding that he would respond formally to the bail application.
