By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Gwarinpa, on Friday, remanded the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, in Kuje prison.
Justice Maryam Hassan issued the remand order after the erstwhile Minister pleaded not guilty to an eight-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.
The court held that he should remain in detention till Monday when his application for bail would be heard.
Ngige, who was in office as a Minister from November 11, 2015 to May 29, 2023, is facing trial over his alleged complicity in contract fraud totalling over N2. 2billion.
Part of the charge against him bordered on abuse of office, as well as an allegation that he accepted kickbacks from firms that were awarded contracts by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF.
It was alleged that he used his position to confer unfair advantage to his associates by awarding contracts to their companies.
The defendant, by his action, was said to have committed offences punishable under various sections of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Meanwhile, following his plea of innocence, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, after seeking a trial date, applied for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody.
On his part, the defence lawyer, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, prayed the court to release his client on bail pending the hearing and determination of the case against him.
Ikwueto, SAN, drew the attention of the court to the fact that the defendant had already spent three days in custody of the EFCC before his arraignment.
“Today, 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 that 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 fulfil any requirement your lordship will put as condition for his bail.
“Even this morning, he mentioned how he needed to go to the hospital. The prosecution is asking for his remand, knowing fully well that they don’t have the facility to cater to his health issues at Kuje,” Ngige’s lawyer submitted.
He stressed that the charge against the former minister was not such thay could attract a capital punishment upon conviction.
“It is not like they are alleging that he ate the ministry’s money or that of NSTIF. The trial will start, and we will see how those contracts were awarded. It is not a terrorism charge or treasonable offence,” Ikwueto, SAN, argued.
He, therefore, urged the court to discountenance EFCC’s application and release the defendant on bail.
In his further response, the prosecution counsel insisted that it was wrong for the defendant to try to downplay the seriousness of the charge against him.
“The offences for which the defendant was charged before this court are by no means minute; they are rather enormous crimes that if found guilty, he will spend nothing less than five years in prison,” EFCC’s lawyer added.
He alleged that the former Minister violated an administrative bail the anti-graft agency granted to him, saying he failed to return his international passport after he was permitted to travel abroad in October for medical checkup.
After he had listened to both sides, Justice Hassan remanded the defendant and adjourned the case till Monday.
EFCC had in the charge before the court, alleged that the former minister used his position to confer an unfair advantage on a firm- Cezimo Nigeria Limited- which was linked to his associate, by approving seven NSITF consultancy, training and supply contracts worth N366,470,920.68, an offence punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
It alleged that between September 2015 to May 2023, the defendant, also awarded eight NSITF contracts worth N583,682,686, to Zitacom Nigeria Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles, is his associate.
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