Alleged N2.2bn fraud: Ngige To Stay In Kuje Jail Until Dec.18

Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan of the Excessive Court docket of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting at Gwarimpa in Abuja has ordered that the previous Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige be saved at Kuje Correctional Centre until December 18, when his bail software could be determined come what may.

Justice Hassan issued the order on Monday, shortly after taking arguments for and towards the bail software of the previous governor of Anambra state.

Counsel to Ngige, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN pleaded with the Choose to confess the previous Minister to bail on numerous causes however primarily on well being floor.

He submitted that the previous Minister wouldn’t soar bail or intervene with witnesses if admitted to bail.

Nonetheless, the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) represented by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN opposed the bail request insisting that Ngige was a flight danger.

He informed the Choose that the defendant was granted administrative bail by the anti-graft company and allowed to journey overseas for medical care however by no means reported again.

Apart from, he stated the worldwide passport of the previous Minister launched to him to facilitate the overseas journey, “was by no means returned until right now”.

Tahir argued that it was when Ngige was re-arrested that he got here up with a purported claims that he misplaced his passport.

Insisting that the claims of passport loss was an afterthought and shouldn’t be believed by the Court docket, Tahir urged the court docket to dismiss the bail request for being frivolous.

After the submissions, Justice Hassan adjourned until December 18 to ship ruling on the bail software.

The EFCC had, on Friday, arraigned Ngige on an 8-count cost bordering on alleged N2.2 billion contract fraud and acceptance of items from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance coverage Belief Fund whereas he served as its supervising minister between September 2015 and Might 2023.