Former Minister Chris Ngige Gets Bail on Liberal Terms in Corruption Trial

Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted bail to former Labour Minister Dr. Chris Ngige, who is facing corruption charges.

In a ruling on Thursday, the judge set liberal bail conditions, adopting the administrative bail previously granted to Ngige by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The conditions require him to produce a Federal Government director as a surety. This surety must own landed property in the FCT, deposit the original Certificate of Occupancy with the court, and surrender his international passport to the court registrar.

Until these conditions are finalized, Ngige will remain in custody at Kuje Prison.

Justice Hassan stated that the charges against him are bailable offenses and emphasized the constitutional presumption of innocence. She cautioned courts against imposing excessive bail conditions, which she equated to an outright denial of bail.

Ngige, a former Governor of Anambra State, was arraigned on December 12, 2025, on an eight-count charge of corrupt practices during his tenure as Minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He pleaded not guilty.

The EFCC’s counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, had opposed bail, alleging that Ngige previously jumped bail and failed to return his travel documents or report to the commission.

However, the court granted the application filed by Ngige’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN.

The trial has been scheduled for January 28 and 29, 2026.

The charges stated that between 2015 and 2023,while supervising the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Ngige used his position to confer unfair advantages on several companies linked to his associates. The contracts awarded total over N1.6 billion.

He is also accused of corruptly receiving gifts totaling approximately N119.7 million through organizations linked to him—the “Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige Campaign Organisation” and the “Senator Chris Ngige Scholarship Scheme”—from contractors with the NSITF.

The offences are contrary to the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts