The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja, has adjourned the bail application hearing for former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, until Thursday, December 18. Ngige is currently facing prosecution over an alleged N2.2 billion contract fraud.
Monday’s proceedings before Justice Maryam Hassan were dominated by intense arguments between the defense and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding whether Ngige had breached the conditions of his administrative bail.
EFCC’s Allegation of Bail Breach
The EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), argued that Ngige violated his administrative bail by failing to return his international passport to the commission after a medical trip abroad.
Tahir contended that Ngige returned to Nigeria on November 14 but did not present the travel document as required. While Ngige claimed the passport was lost in London, the EFCC lawyer stressed that the former minister improperly filed the affidavit of loss in Nigeria instead of the UK, where the incident allegedly occurred.
“The right procedure was to deponent an affidavit in the UK and report the loss to the local police,” Tahir argued, asserting that the defendant’s non-compliance undermined the judicial bail system. He urged the court to deny judicial bail, stating Ngige had forfeited his eligibility for continued freedom due to this breach of trust.
Defence Argues Genuine Loss and No Flight Risk
Countering the EFCC, Ngige’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), insisted that the passport was genuinely lost due to circumstances beyond the defendant’s control.
Ikwueto provided documentary evidence to the court, showing the loss was formally reported to both the UK Home Office and the Nigerian High Commission in London and Abuja. He highlighted that Ngige used a one-off Emergency Travel Certificate to re-enter Nigeria, a document valid only for re-entry, arguing this proves he had no intention to abscond.
“If the defendant lost his international passport and has no new travel document, how can he pose a flight risk?” Ikwueto asked the court, adding that the EFCC had not investigated or disproved the documented loss.
The defence also appealed to the court on humanitarian grounds, citing Ngige’s advanced age and severe health challenges, particularly concerning his eyesight, which necessitate constant medical care. Ikwueto maintained that Ngige—no longer a serving minister and with no prior criminal record—posed no risk of re-offending.
Justice Hassan, after considering the lengthy arguments presented by both sides, scheduled the ruling on the bail application for December 18.
