Relief came for former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, on Wednesday after a Federal High Court in Abuja approved his release on bail in a high-profile contract fraud trial involving ₦2.2 billion.
Justice Maryam Hassan ruled that the court would rely on the administrative bail earlier granted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, stressing that bail remains a discretionary judicial power guided by fairness and reasonableness.
Under the conditions outlined by the court, Ngige is required to present a single surety who must be a serving director on the federal government payroll and also own property within the Federal Capital Territory.
Furthermore, the judge ordered the former minister to deposit all travel documents with the court, noting that bail terms must not be punitive or excessively restrictive.
“Judicial authority must be exercised judiciously and never arbitrarily,” Hassan said.
Meanwhile, the court fixed January 28 and 29, 2026, for the continuation of the trial, allowing both the prosecution and defence ample time to prepare their cases.
Ngige, who held office from November 2015 to May 2023, is facing an eight-count charge bordering on abuse of office and alleged manipulation of contract awards linked to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.
He had earlier pleaded not guilty to all charges and was temporarily remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre while the court considered his bail application.
According to the prosecution, the former minister allegedly received financial inducements from contractors and leveraged his position to favour associates during the award of NSITF contracts.
Prosecutors said the alleged actions violated provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
However, lawyers representing the EFCC, led by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, opposed the bail application, urging the court to deny Ngige freedom pending trial on grounds of the gravity of the allegations.
Despite the opposition, the court maintained that bail should not be withheld as a form of punishment, especially where the defendant has pledged to submit to trial, hence the decision to grant conditional release.