The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has opposed former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige’s efforts to secure bail after he was brought before Justice M.A. Hassan at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja.
This was disclosed via a statement from its official X handle on Monday, December 15, 2025.
According to the statement, the prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, urged the court to be cautious regarding the bail request, pointing out that Ngige had not returned his international passport to the EFCC after being permitted to travel abroad for medical reasons.
He had promised to return the passport but failed to do so until his arrest by the commission.
“He committed to returning the passport by November 19, 2025. The defendant could not obtain an affidavit of loss in the UK and instead chose to return to Nigeria for it. What prevented him from getting a relevant police report in London?” Tahir questioned.
“The logical step would have been to file an affidavit of loss in the UK. What would the Nigerian police know about a passport lost in the UK? What we are asserting, my Lord, is that the defendant has significantly violated the administrative bail granted by the EFCC.
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“Now, he seeks bail from this court under the same terms and conditions set by the EFCC. We must be cautious.
“The defendant is in breach of Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which undermines the provisions of ACJA. Given the circumstances of this case, we argue that the court should deny the application and expedite the trial,” Tahir said.
In response, the defendant’s attorney, Patrick Ikweato, SAN, requested that the court grant bail to Ngige.
“I am asking my Lord to admit the defendant to bail; the reasons are outlined in the application, and we rely on all the documents and the written application,” he stated.
Justice Hassan postponed the ruling on the application until Thursday, December 18, 2025.
Ngige faces eight charges related to alleged contract fraud and the acceptance of gifts amounting to N2,261,722,535.84.
