By Ayodele Oni
A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who is facing an eight-count corruption charge.
The court had earlier, on Monday, adjourned ruling in his bail application till Thursday.
Ngige, who served as Minister from November 2015 to May 2023, was accused of contract fraud totaling over N2.2 billion.
Justice Maryam Hassan granted Ngige bail, adopting the terms of the administrative bail previously granted him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The conditions include producing a surety who is a Federal Government Director, owns property in the FCT, and submit his travel documents to the Court.
Ngige’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, had argued that his client is not a flight risk and should be released on bail, citing health concerns.
However, the EFCC opposed the bail request, alleging that Ngige had violated administrative bail conditions by failing to return his international passport after traveling abroad for medical treatment.
The court has adjourned the trial to January 28 and 29, 2026.
Ngige pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include abuse of office and accepting kickbacks from firms awarded contracts by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
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