…as anti-graft agency keeps mum
Former Anambra State governor and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, is in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), not a kidnap victim, despite a surge of panic and speculation that swept through political circles on Wednesday.
His media aide, Fred Chukwuelobe, stepped in swiftly to douse the rumour after receiving a flurry of calls from journalists, associates and well-wishers.
The clarification comes amid long-standing corruption allegations tied to Ngige’s political career. The EFCC once produced a report accusing him of diverting or laundering more than N46 billion earmarked for Anambra’s local governments during his time as governor.
In his later role overseeing the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) as labour minister, he was questioned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), with EFCC support, over alleged contract irregularities and claims of ‘job-racketeering.’
In his terse Wednesday statement, Chukwuelobe said the rumour spread within minutes, forcing him to publicly clarify Ngige’s whereabouts.
He wrote, “I have been receiving calls in the past hour from friends and journalists seeking the veracity of the news making the rounds that His Excellency, Dr. Chris Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, ‘has been kidnapped.’”
Chukwulobe stressed that there was no abduction and confirmed that the former minister is with anti-graft operatives.
“Ngige is with the EFCC. He was not ‘abducted’ or ‘kidnapped’,” he insisted.
Attempts to independently confirm the development from the EFCC were unsuccessful as of Wednesday night.
The Commission maintained silence, with its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, declining to respond to Vanguard’s inquiry about Ngige’s reported arrest.
Chukwuelobe added that more information about Ngige’s situation would be made available in due course.
His intervention helped calm initial public anxiety and redirected attention toward the EFCC’s ongoing engagement with the former minister. (Vanguard, but headline rejigged)
