Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, was today, Friday, December 12, 2025, arraigned before an FCT High Court on an eight-count charge bordering on corruption and abuse of office, and subsequently ordered to be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The remand order, issued by Justice Maryam Hassan of the FCT High Court in Gwarinpa, is pending the hearing and determination of his bail application, which has been scheduled for Monday, December 15, 2025.
The arraignment follows the former Anambra Governor’s arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) earlier this week. The charges, filed by the anti-graft agency, stem from his tenure as the supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) between September 2015 and May 2023. However, Dr. Ngige pleaded not guilty to all eight counts.
The core of the charges, totaling approximately ₦2.14 billion, alleges that Ngige corruptly used his ministerial position to confer unfair advantage on companies linked to his associates by awarding them lucrative contracts from the NSITF.
The charges list multiple contracts for consultancy, training, and supply awarded to companies such as, Cezimo Nigeria Limited which allegedly received contracts worth over ₦366 million; Zitacom Nigeria Limited, allegedly received contracts worth over ₦583 million, and Olde English Consolidated Limited, received contracts worth over ₦668 million, allegedly
Furthermore, counts six to eight accuse the former Minister of directly collecting bribes, or “gratifications,” totaling over ₦119 million from the contracting companies through entities tied to him, an offence that violates the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Following the not-guilty plea, the defense counsel, led by Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), argued strongly for bail, citing the former Minister’s prominent status, his compliance with previous EFCC administrative bail terms, and his frail health requiring medical attention.
The EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), however, urged the court to remand the defendant to send a strong anti-corruption signal and prevent any interference with the ongoing investigation.
Justice Hassan, after listening to both arguments, sided with the prosecution on the remand, ordering Ngige to be held at the Kuje Correctional Centre until the bail application is heard next week.
