By Mabeline Amara
Justice M A Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja has fixed Thursday for his ruling on the bail application by the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Ngige on an eight-count charge of alleged involvement in contract fraud and accepting gifts of about N2.26bn billion.
When the matter came up on Monday, the prosecuting EFCC lawyer, Mr Sylvanus Tahir (SAN) told the court to approach the issue of bail for the former Minister with caution, arguing that Ngige failed to return his international passport to the EFCC after being allowed to travel abroad on a medical trip.
Opposing Ngige’s bail application, Tahir further informed the court that the former minister undertook to return his passport but failed until he was arrested by the Commission.
He said, “He made an undertaking that he will return the passport on November 19, 2025. The defendant could not obtain an affidavit of loss in the UK but rather chose to come back to Nigeria to obtain an affidavit, what stopped him from obtaining a relevant police report from London?”
“The logical thing to do was to depose an affidavit of loss in the country. What does Nigerian police know about a loss of passport in the UK? What we are saying my Lord is that the defendant is in gross breach of the administrative bail granted by the EFCC.
“Suddenly he is asking this court to grant him bail in terms and conditions granted by the EFCC. Let us not shoot ourselves in the leg. The defendant is in violation of Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
“He undermines and jeopardises the provision of ACJA. The totality of this case calls for extreme caution, we submit that the court should refuse the application and order for accelerated trial.”
But the lead lawyer to Ngige, Patrick Ikweato (SAN), asked the court to grant his client bail.
He said, “I am asking my lord to admit the defendant to bail, the appeals are there stated in the application, we rely on all the processes as well as the written application”.
After listening to the parties, Justice Hassan adjourned the matter till Thursday for his ruling on the bail application.
