In two high-profile and contrasting rulings on Thursday, December 18, 2025, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja delivered divergent fortunes for two former federal ministers embroiled in separate Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigations. Dr. Chris Ngige, erstwhile Minister of Labour and Employment, was granted bail in his ongoing corruption case, while Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, saw his application for bail dismissed.
Ngige Secures Bail with Conditions
A Gwarinpa-based FCT High Court, presided over by Justice Maryam Hassan, ruled that Chris Ngige should be released on bail, adopting the administrative terms previously granted by the EFCC. Ngige — who had been remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre for about a week following his arraignment on an eight-count corruption charge involving alleged contract fraud totaling over ₦2.2 billion — will be freed on strict conditions.
Key bail conditions include:
• A surety who must be a serving Federal Government director and owner of landed property in the Federal Capital Territory.
• The surety is required to deposit proof of property ownership and his travel documents with the court.
• Ngige must surrender his international passport and may not travel abroad without the court’s explicit permission.
Justice Hassan emphasised that the offences Ngige faces are bailable, and that imposing outlandish or excessive bail terms could amount to a denial of bail in itself. Trial dates were set for January 28 and 29, 2026.
Ngige, a former governor of Anambra State and minister under the Muhammadu Buhari administration, has pleaded not guilty to the charges related to alleged misuse of office, contract awards, and receipt of unlawful benefits.
Malami Denied Bail, Remains in EFCC Custody
In a separate ruling, Justice Babangida Hassan of the FCT High Court dismissed the bail application by Abubakar Malami, SAN, who has been detained by the EFCC since early December amid investigations into alleged financial misconduct dating back to his tenure as Attorney-General and Justice Minister.
Malami’s legal team argued that his continued detention was unlawful and unconstitutional, but the EFCC countered that the former minister was being held lawfully pursuant to a valid remand order issued by another FCT High Court judge, Justice S.C. Oriji, under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
In his ruling, Justice Hassan cited Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution and relevant ACJA provisions, concluding that Malami’s detention was lawful and that granting bail would effectively ask the court to overrule a coordinate court’s order — a power the court said it did not possess.
Malami — who was initially granted administrative bail by the EFCC in late November but subsequently re-invited and detained after failing to meet stringent bail conditions — has denied wrongdoing and described his detention as politically motivated.
Today’s rulings underscore the judiciary’s discretion in high-stakes corruption matters and spotlight differing judicial approaches to bail applications involving prominent political figures. Ngige’s conditional release comes amid calls from legal voices for balanced bail terms that respect constitutional rights, while Malami’s continued detention highlights the legal weight of remand orders obtained under the ACJA.
