WorldStage— The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, November 12, 2026, continued its prosecution of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, over alleged abuse of office and fraudulent contract awards valued at N2,261,722,535.84 (Two Billion, Two Hundred and Sixty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Twenty-Two Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty-Five Naira, Eighty-Four Kobo) involving the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF.
At the resumed proceedings before Justice M.A. Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, the Commission’s third prosecution witness, PW3, Onwusoro Maduka Iheamelam, testified on directives arising from a presidential investigative panel set up to examine the activities of the NSITF under Ngige’s supervision.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, P.I.N. Ikwueto, SAN, the witness, a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, disclosed that he was a member of the presidential investigative panel that was established to investigate the matter.
He told the court that he received a presidential directive to implement the President’s decisions arising from the panel’s findings, which included directives concerning the procurement functions and other activities of NSITF during the period.
The proceedings also witnessed an exchange between the prosecution and defence counsels over access to the witness’s statements.
The defence counsel requested that the prosecution produce the original copies of the witness’s statements for examination.
However, prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, objected to the request, arguing that the defence counsel should formally apply for Certified True Copies, CTCs of the documents if he wished to obtain them.
Ngige is being prosecuted by the EFCC on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and fraudulent contract awards involving NSITF contracts valued at N2,261,722,535.84.
The charges arose from allegations relating to the award of contracts during his tenure as Minister of Labour and Employment and his supervision of the NSITF.
Following Thursday’s proceedings, Justice Hassan adjourned the matter to February 9, 10 and 11, 2027, for continuation of trial.
