A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gwarimpa has granted bail to former Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige.
Ngige is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an eight-count charge bordering on abuse of office and acceptance of gifts estimated at about N2.2billion.
He is alleged to have accepted the said gifts from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) during his tenure as supervising minister from September 2015 to May 2023.
In a ruling on Thursday, Justice Mariam Hassan held that Ngige should be granted bail on the same conditions attached to the administrative bail earlier granted him by the EFCC.
Justice Hassan said Ngige should produce a surety, who must be at the level of a director and must own landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.
The judge held that since Ngige claimed he had misplaced his international passport, his surety should deposit his own international passport with the court, which the surety could only retrieve when Ngige produces his own as a replacement.
She adjourned till January 28 and 29 next year for trial.
Details shortly…
