FG files 8-count charge against former Anambra governor, Ngige, to be arraigned Friday (today)

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a eight-charge against the former Governor of Anambra State and Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

He is to be arraigned Friday (today) at the FCT High Court, Abuja.

Dated 31st October 2025, Charge No: FCT/HC/CR/426/2025, the count bordered on confering unfair advantage by awarding contracts running into billions of Naira to close associates.

He was also accused of accepting gifts from contractors with the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), a parasatal under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

According to count one, Ngige, “whilst being the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between September 2015 to May 2023, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court and being the supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), used your said position to confer an unfair advantage upon Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles is your associate, by the award of 7 (seven) different contracts for consultancy, training, and supply by the NSITF to the said company to the tune of N366,470, 920.681 (Three hundred and sixty six million, four hundred and seventy thousand naira and nine hundred and twenty kobo) only, and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to and punishable under Section19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Act, 2000.”

The former Minister was also accused of the same undue advantage on four other companies – Zitacom Nigeria Limited, Jeff & Xris and Olde English Consolidated Limited, Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited – by awarding to them contracts and whose MDs are his cronies.

In counts 6,7 and 8, the former Minister is accused of accepting gifts of N362million, N38million, N55million and N26million through his campaign organisation, from contractors with NSITF “thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Act, 2000, punishable under Section179 (c) of the same Act.”

Chukwuelobe, Ngige’s aide, in a statement on Facebook earlier on Thursday, said that about 20 operatives from the EFCC’s Wuse II Zonal Office stormed the former minister’s residence on Justice Mohammed Bello Road, Asokoro, on Tuesday. He alleged that Ngige was “whisked away” without being allowed to change out of his pyjamas.

“The EFCC will possibly today charge the immediate past Minister of Labour and Productivity and former Anambra State Governor, Chris Ngige, to court. Dr. Ngige was yesterday whisked away from his residence in Abuja by about 20 EFCC officers from its Zonal office, Wuse II, Abuja, in what a family member described as “commando-style raid”. He was not allowed to change his clothes and was taken away still wearing his pyjamas.” Chukwuelobe said.

Ngige was reportedly on an “administrative bail” after an earlier EFCC invitation, during which he was interrogated.

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