Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application after being arraigned on an eight-count corruption charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Mariam Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja, issued the remand order on Friday, December 11, 2025, and adjourned the case to December 15 for the hearing of the bail application. Ngige, 73, who also served as Governor of Anambra State, arrived at the courthouse at about 8:10 a.m., escorted by EFCC operatives, and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The charges, marked FCT/HC/CR/726/2025 and filed on December 9, stem from Ngige’s tenure as Minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari between September 2015 and May 2023. He is accused of abusing his office and corruptly accepting bribes totaling over N2 billion while supervising the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
The first five counts allege that Ngige used his ministerial position to confer unfair advantages on companies linked to his associates by awarding lucrative NSITF contracts worth approximately N2.14 billion. The beneficiaries and contract values include:
Counts six to eight allege Ngige corruptly accepted bribes totaling ₦119,783,000 via entities tied to him:
The bribes were allegedly received while Ngige performed his official duties as minister.
During the arraignment, EFCC counsel Sylvanus Tahir requested that the court set a date for the commencement of Ngige’s trial and that he be remanded in the custody of the anti-graft agency pending the trial. Ngige’s defense team opposed the request, noting that the former minister had already spent three days in EFCC detention. They emphasized that he is a prominent public figure who served until about 15 months ago, highlighted serious health concerns, and assured the court that they would meet any bail conditions.
Justice Mariam Hassan subsequently remanded Ngige at Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to December 15, 2025, for the hearing of his bail application.