Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwarimpa, Abuja, has ordered that former Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre until December 18.
Ngige is to remain in custody pending the court’s ruling on his bail application scheduled for that date.
The order was made on Monday after Justice Hassan heard arguments from both parties for and against the former Anambra State governor’s request for bail.
Ngige’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, pleaded with the judge to admit the former minister to bail, mainly on health ground.
He submitted that the former minister would not jump bail or interfere with witnesses if admitted to bail.
However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, represented by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, vehemently opposed the bail request, insisting that Ngige was a flight risk.
Tahir told the judge that Ngige was granted administrative bail by the EFCC and allowed to travel abroad for medical care but never reported back to the Commission.
Besides, he said that the international passport released to him; to facilitate the abroad trip was never returned till today.
The senior lawyer argued that it was when Ngige was re-arrested that he came up with a purported claim that he lost his passport.
He insisted that the claim of passport loss was an afterthought and should not be believed by the court.
After the submissions, Justice Hassan fixed December 18 to deliver ruling in the bail request.
He was last Friday slammed with an eight-count charge bordering on corrupt practices.
