EFCC witness exonerates Chris Ngige over alleged N80m fraud

A prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has exonerated former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, of allegations involving N80 million brought against him by the anti-graft agency.

Ngige was charged on five counts of conferring undue advantage on five companies said to belong to his associates, as well as three counts of receiving monetary gifts of N38 million and N42 million through his foundation, the Sen Chris Ngige Foundation Scholarship Scheme and Sen Chris Ngige Campaign Organisation, respectively.

Recall that Senator Ngige, a former governor of Anambra State, was last year remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre for three days before he was later granted bail.

Ngige pleaded not guilty to the charges, insisting that he was innocent.

Political observers believe the former minister is being witch-hunted.

The EFCC prosecution witness, at a Federal Capital Territory court presided over by Justice Marian Hassan, told the court that there was no undue influence or interference by the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator (Dr) Chris Ngige, during the 12-month period that the NSITF procurement process was domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment between 2021 and 2022.

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He said the procurement activities in the parastatal’s Tenders Board (PTB) and the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB) were carried out with due process and without hindrance.

The witness, Dr Maduka Onwusoro, now a Permanent Secretary, said he served as Director of Procurement in the Labour Ministry from 2019 to 2023, alongside his deputy, Ms Joyce Akponor, who was later deployed to the NSITF at its request to manage departmental needs, collate bids and forward them for PTB and MTB approvals between 2021 and 2022.

Under cross-examination by lead defence counsel, PIN Ikwueto (SAN), the witness examined an exhibit tendered by the prosecution and affirmed that the approval annotations on the document were his. He further confirmed that all the companies recommended and approved by the MTB in the document were selected on merit and that there was no undue interference or influence by anyone.

The ex-minister is accused of conferring undue advantage on Messrs Zitacom Ltd, Shale Atlantic and Olde English Consolidated Ltd, among other companies.

The witness said that, as the overall supervisor of procurement activities, no pressure was brought on him in connection with the three companies.

Earlier, during his appearance last Thursday, the same witness was emphatic that two other companies, Messrs Cezimo Ltd and Jeff & Xris Ltd, also went through due process and got their contracts on merit because they were pre-qualified and submitted the lowest bids.

The defence had sought to tender through the bar some documents containing approvals and directives given to the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the former minister, Ngige, by former President Muhammadu Buhari. However, the prosecution opposed the move, pointing out that the certification of the documents by the Federal Ministry of Labour Human Resources Department was not properly done in line with a previous Supreme Court ruling on the certification of documents.

The defence team subsequently withdrew the application to tender the documents.

Justice Hassan later adjourned the matter to October 14, 2026, for further hearing.