Ngige will remain in custody at Kuje Correctional Centre as the court weighs arguments over whether he should be released on bail, placing his immediate freedom on hold amid mounting legal scrutiny.
Justice Maryam Aliyu Hassan ruled that the former Labour Minister would stay in prison pending a formal decision on his bail request, a development that underscored the seriousness of the allegations now before the court.
Proceedings at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarimpa focused on sharply opposing positions from both sides, with the defence urging compassion and the prosecution warning against what it described as significant risks.
Counsel to Ngige, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, urged the court to grant bail, citing medical concerns and insisting that his client posed no threat to the integrity of the trial.
According to him, the former governor had “deep roots in the country” and would not evade justice if released. “This is not a man who would run from his day in court,” he said.
However, prosecutors for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission countered those claims, arguing that Ngige’s past conduct suggested otherwise.
EFCC counsel Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, told the court that the defendant had previously been granted administrative bail and allowed to travel abroad for medical reasons but failed to return as required.
“That history raises serious questions about trust and compliance,” he said.
Moreover, the prosecution alleged that Ngige did not return his international passport after the approved trip and only claimed it was lost following his re-arrest.
Tahir described the explanation as “an afterthought designed to mislead the court,” urging the judge to dismiss the bail application as lacking merit.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Hassan adjourned the matter and fixed December 18 for a ruling on the bail request, effectively extending Ngige’s stay in custody until then.
Meanwhile, legal sources confirmed that the former minister is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged corrupt practices, a case that is expected to attract sustained public attention as proceedings continue.