Justice Mariam Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gwarinpa Division, on Friday, ordered the remand of former labour minister Chris Ngige in Kuje prison custody.
Mr Ngige was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged money laundering and corrupt gratification totalling N2,261,722,535.84.
According to the charges seen by our correspondent, Mr Ngige is facing eight counts of abuse of office and of accepting gifts from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.
He allegedly committed the offences while serving as the supervising minister of the NSITF between September 2015 and May 2023.
In the first count, the EFCC alleged that Mr Ngige used his position to confer an unfair advantage on Cezimo Nigeria Limited, linked to an associate, by approving seven NSITF consultancy, training and supply contracts worth N366,470,920.68.
In the second count, the former minister was accused of awarding eight contracts worth N583,682,686 to Zitacom Nigeria Limited, a company also linked to an associate.
The EFCC also accused Mr Ngige of corruptly awarding eight NSITF contracts valued at N362,043,163.16 to Jeff & Xris Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Nwosu Chukwunwike, is the ex-minister’s associate.
On count four, Mr Ngige was accused of influencing four contracts worth N668,138,141 in favour of Olde English Consolidated Limited.
In the fifth count, the former minister was alleged to have given four contracts worth N161,604,625 to Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited, whose owner was identified as Uzoma Igbonwa, an associate.
The EFCC in counts six to eight, accused Mr Ngige of corruptly receiving monetary gifts from NSITF contractors between May and June 2022.
The EFCC alleged that he received N38,650,000 through his campaign organisation from Cezimo Nigeria Limited, N55,003,000 through his scholarship scheme from Zitacom Nigeria Limited, and N26,130,000 from Jeff & Xris Limited.
Following the reading of the charges in court on Friday, Mr Ngige pleaded not guilty. After taking his plea, EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, applied for a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant.
“In view of the not guilty plea entered by the defendant, we humbly apply for the trial date. We further pray my Lord that the accused person be remanded at the Kuje prison pending the commencement of the full trial,” Mr Tahir said.
The defence lead counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, however, opposed the EFCC’s submission and urged the court to grant his client bail on health grounds, noting that the former minister had been in EFCC custody for three days prior to the arraignment.
He argued that the allegations were not comparable to terrorism or treason charges that would justify denying bail.
“It’s not like he ate the ministry’s money or that of NSTIF. The trial will start, and we will see how those contracts were awarded. It’s not a terrorism charge or treason offence,” Mr Ikwueto said. “We were not allowed time to file our own counter-affidavit. If the prosecution will give us time, we will.”
EFCC prosecutor, however, countered him, saying, “The offences with which the defendant was charged are by no means minute. They are rather enormous crimes that, if found guilty, he will spend nothing less than five years in prison because of the attempt to trivialise the crime and bamboozle the court.”
He further told the court that Mr Ngige failed to return his passport after he was permitted to travel for medical treatment in October. The judge adjourned the matter to December 14, 2025 and ordered Mr Ngige’s remand in prison custody.
