BENUE BOOSTS CHILD PROTECTION WITH GRADUATION OF 60 UNICEF-BACKED SOCIAL WORKERS. (PHOTOS).
In a move stirring controversy, former Labour Minister and ex-Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, has been granted bail by Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan of the FCT High Court, even as he faces an eight-count corruption charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While the court adopted the administrative bail previously granted by the EFCC on self-recognizance, it imposed stringent conditions: Ngige must produce a surety who is a Federal Government director, owns land in the FCT with a Certificate of Occupancy, and submits both the original certificate and international passport to the court. Until these are fulfilled, Ngige remains in Kuje Prison.
Justice Hassan stressed the constitutional principle that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and warned against bail conditions so harsh they amount to denial of liberty — a point clearly at odds with EFCC’s insistence on Ngige’s prior bail violations.
EFCC counsel Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, fiercely opposed the release, citing Ngige’s alleged refusal to report to the agency and failure to return travel documents previously issued for international travel.
Ngige, who pleaded not guilty to all charges on December 12, now awaits trial on January 28 and 29, 2026 — a legal battle that has reignited debate over the enforcement of anti-corruption laws in Nigeria.
Comments
Post a Comment