A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwarimpa, Abuja, has ordered that a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, be remanded in Kuje Prison until December 18, when his bail application will be determined.
The court had, on December 12, after he was arraigned on an eight-count charge, ordered that Ngige be kept in Kuje Prison pending the hearing of his bail application yesterday.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Ngige on charges bordering on abuse of office and acceptance of gifts from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) during his tenure as supervising minister from September 2015 to May 2023.
Justice Mariam Hassan yesterday ordered that Ngige should be returned to prison after she heard arguments from lawyers to the parties on whether or not Ngige deserved to be granted bail.
Ngige’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), prayed the court to, among others, grant bail to his client on health grounds.
He submitted that the former minister would not jump bail or interfere with the prosecution’s witnesses if granted bail.
Responding, the prosecuting lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), objected, claiming that Ngige is a flight risk.
Tahir said the EFCC had earlier granted Ngige administrative bail and allowed to travel abroad for medical care, but he failed to report back to the EFCC.
The lawyer said the international passport released to him to facilitate his trip abroad was never returned.
He argued that it was when Ngige was rearrested that he came up with the alleged loss of his passport, which the prosecuting lawyer called an afterthought.
He prayed the court to reject Ngige’s application for bail.
Justice Hassan adjourned till Thursday for ruling.