The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) interrogated Chris Ngige, a former labour minister, on Wednesday regarding alleged misconduct.
News About Nigeria reports that Ngige, who served in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, is alleged of unethical practices in contract awards at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), which falls under the labour ministry’s supervision.
The NSITF has faced numerous corruption allegations, including a case in January 2023 where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Adebayo Aderibigbe, a former NSITF general manager, with alleged fraud involving N60,400,000 obtained through false pretence.
However, the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, confirmed to TheCable on Thursday that Ngige is cooperating with the commission’s investigation but did not provide further details.
Bakare said the former governor of Anambra State was not detained by the anti-graft agency.
“He was not arrested; he was not detained. He is helping us out with the investigation,” the spokesperson said.
“He is assisting in the investigation, but he was not detained.”
In a previous development, the ICPC arraigned Usman Kwakwa, an official of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), for allegedly stealing N298 million through the agency’s payment platform.
He was arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja on a four-count charge.
Kwakwa is one of several officers allegedly involved in over “N1.2 billion fraud” at the agency.
At least, five officials of the agency, including Kwakwa, have been charged separately by the ICPC for various amounts of funds they allegedly stole from the agency in March 2023.
Kwakwa pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge and was granted bail in the sum of N50 million.
