Court Grants Bail to Ex-Labour Minister Chris Ngige in ₦2.2bn Corruption Case, Orders Him to Submit Travel Documents

• A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, in his ongoing corruption trial, adopting the bail terms earlier granted by the EFCC.

The Federal High Court sitting in Gwaripa, Abuja, has granted bail to embattled former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, who is currently facing corruption charges.

Justice Maryam Hassan, while ruling on the bail application, adopted the terms of the administrative bail earlier granted to Ngige by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

As part of the bail conditions, the court ordered the former minister to produce one surety who must be a director on the federal government payroll and own property within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice Hassan also overruled a preliminary objection filed by the EFCC opposing Ngige’s bail application, holding that the court possesses the discretionary power to grant bail where necessary.

She further ordered Ngige to submit his travel documents to the court, stressing that bail conditions must not be unreasonable or excessively stringent, and that judicial discretion should not be exercised arbitrarily.

The court subsequently adjourned the case to January 28 and 29, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

Ngige, who served as Minister of Labour and Productivity from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, was arraigned before the court on December 12 by the EFCC over alleged involvement in contract fraud amounting to more than ₦2.2 billion.

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The former Anambra State governor pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following his arraignment, the trial judge ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja pending the determination of his bail application.

Part of the charges against Ngige include allegations of abuse of office and receiving kickbacks from companies awarded contracts by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

The EFCC further alleged that the former minister used his position to confer undue advantage on associates by facilitating the award of contracts to their firms.

The case is expected to resume in 2026 as the court proceeds with trial.