₦2.2bn corruption case: Court upholds Nigige’s bail, insists on senior civil servant surety

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja, has allowed Chris Ngige, former Minister of Labour and Employment to remain on the administrative bail earlier granted to him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Maryam Hassan issued the directive on Thursday while ruling on a bail application filed by Ngige’s legal team and argued by his lead counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN.

In her decision, the judge ordered Ngige to provide a surety who must be a serving director within the Federal Civil Service and the owner of a landed property.

The court further instructed that the surety must submit the title documents of the property and surrender his travel documents to the court until Ngige successfully retrieves his international passport.

Prior to the court’s ruling, the EFCC had released Ngige on bail based on self-recognition, with conditions that he produce one surety and submit his travel documents to the commission.

Under the court’s additional conditions, the surety is required to deposit both the property documents and his travel papers with the court until the issue of Ngige’s passport is fully resolved.

Read also: Court remands Chris Ngige over alleged N2.2bn fraud

Ngige, a former governor of Anambra State, had earlier been detained at the Kuje Correctional Centre before meeting bail conditions.

He is currently facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged corruption involving a sum of ₦2.2 billion. The charge, dated October 31 and filed on December 9, was brought by a prosecution team led by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN.

The alleged offences were said to have been committed during Ngige’s tenure as Minister of Labour under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Ngige has denied all the allegations, pleading not guilty to each count.