A former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, was on Friday arraigned before an Abuja High Court sitting in Gwarinpa by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N2.2bn contract fraud.

Justice Maryam Hassan ordered that the former minister be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application, fixed for Monday, December 14.

Ngige pleaded not guilty to eight counts bordering on abuse of office and acceptance of gifts from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), while he served as its supervising minister between September 2015 and May 2023.

After the plea, the EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), applied for a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant.

He said, “In view of the not guilty plea entered by the defendant, we humbly apply for the trial date. 

“We further pray my Lord that the accused person be remanded at the Kuje Prison pending the commencement of the full trial.”

The defence lead counsel, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), however, opposed the EFCC’s submission and urged the court to grant his client bail on health grounds, noting that the former minister had been in EFCC custody for three days prior to the arraignment.

He said, “the defendant has taken his plea, and your Lordship is now in full control of this trial. 

“As I mentioned earlier, the defendant has been in the custody of the EFCC for the past three days, during which the charge was served on him. 

“We can see the charge was filed yesterday and assigned to this Court.

“The issue of whether he will be granted bail or not is a right in our Constitution. 

“The defendant is not an unknown person in this country. I don’t think there is anybody in this country who will say they don’t know the defendant. Even from the charge, it was stated that he was a minister of this country.

“I urge your Lordship to grant the defendant bail, and we are ready to grant any requirement your Lordship will put to grant him bail. 

“Even this morning, he mentioned how he needs to go to the hospital. The prosecution is asking for his remand, knowing fully well they don’t have the facility to cater to his health issues at Kuje.”

He argued that the allegations were not comparable to terrorism or treason charges that would justify denying bail.

“It’s not like he ate the ministry’s money or that of NSTIF. The trial will start, and we will see how those contracts were awarded. It’s not a terrorism charge or treason offence,” Ikwueto stated.

He also challenged the EFCC’s application, saying the defence was not given time to respond.

“We were not allowed time to file our own counter-affidavit. If the prosecution will give us time, we will.”

The prosecution, however, countered him, noting that the defendant’s alleged offence was not trivial and should not be downplayed by the defence.

“The offences with which the defendant was charged are by no means minute; they are rather enormous crimes that if found guilty, he will spend nothing less than five years in prison because of the attempt to trivialise the crime and bamboozle the Court,” the prosecution said.

He told the court that Ngige failed to return his international passport after he was permitted to travel for medical treatment in October.

The court adjourned the matter to December 14 and ordered Ngige’s remand in Kuje.