Ngige’s trial: EFCC tenders petition in evidence as witness alleges contract fraud

Ngige

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting at Gwarinpa, on Wednesday, commenced full-blown hearing on the eight-count corruption charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) preferred against a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

The EFCC opened its case by presenting its first witness, whose petition led to the exposure of alleged contract fraud in the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), an agency that was under Ngige’s ministerial supervision. Ngige, who was in office as a minister from November 11, 2015, to May 29, 2023, was arraigned on December 12, 2025, before the court on allegations of abuse of office, acceptance of gifts, and contract irregularities at the NSITF to the tune of over N2.2 billion.

The charge included an allegation that he collected kickbacks from firms that were awarded contracts by the NSITF.

It was alleged that the former minister used his position to confer unfair advantage to his associates by awarding contracts to their companies.

The defendant, by his action, was said to have committed offences punishable under various sections of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

At the resumed proceedings on Wednesday, the prosecution witness, Mr. Pedro Chele, narrated in the court how he wrote petitions both to the EFCC and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) after uncovering that the NSITF board had sidelined due process in its contract award process.

Even though the defence lawyer, Mr. Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, queried the admissibility of the petitions, trial Justice Maryam Hassan admitted them in evidence and marked them as Exhibit P1.

Ngige’s lawyer, Ikwueto, SAN, said he would in his final written address, give reasons why he opposed the admission of the documents as part of the proof of evidence in the case. Vanguard