Ailing Former Anambra Governor Ngige to Shuttle Between Prison, Hospital, As Bail Application Waits
The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, presided over by Justice Mariam Hassan, on Friday ordered the remand of the former governor of Anambra State, Dr Chris Ngige, at the Kuje Correctional Center, on the day a N2.2billion corruption allegation was filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was mentioned and he pleaded not guilty.
The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, presided over by Justice Mariam Hassan, on Friday ordered the remand of the former governor of Anambra State, Dr Chris Ngige, at the Kuje Correctional Center, on the day a N2.2billion corruption allegation was filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was mentioned and he pleaded not guilty.
Ngige, also a former Minister of Labour and Employment, escaped assassination about two weeks ago in his home state, Anambra.
Count one of the eight count charge marked: FCT/HC/CR/726/2025, accused the former minister of allegedly using his position as Minister of Labour and Employment and the Supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, “to confer an unfair advantage upon Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles is your associate, by the award of seven different contracts for consultancy, training and supply by the NSITF to the said company to the tune of N366,470,920.68 among other charges.”
Ngige, would however, have to shuttle between the hospital and the prison facility owing to his poor health condition.
The former minister was charged for conferring unfair advantage on his associates in the award of several contracts when he held office as minister between 2015 and 2023. He was sent to Kuje Correctional Centre, by Justice Hassan till Monday, when his bail application would be heard.
Ngige, a former Senator representing Anambra Central, was further accused of corruptly accepting gifts of several million naira through his organisations while he was in office, but he pleaded not guilty to all the eighth-count charges filed against him.
His Counsel, Patrick Ikweato, SAN, had filed an application for his client's bail and pleaded that he be moved out of EFCC custody to the custodial centre on health grounds, pending the hearing of the bail application but the EFCC lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, opposed the Ikweato's request claiming that Ngige was a flight risk.
This was even as the application could not be moved on Friday as the prosecution claimed it was served on them shortly before the court session.
Tahir informed the court that he would respond formally to the application on Monday, hence Justice Hassan adjourned further hearing on the matter till Monday, December 15.
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