Former Anambra State governor and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, is currently with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC — not a kidnap victim — despite a wave of panic and speculation that spread through political circles on Wednesday.
His media aide, Fred Chukwuelobe, issued a prompt clarification after being inundated with calls from journalists, associates and concerned individuals.
The clarification surfaced in the middle of long-standing corruption allegations tied to Ngige’s political history. The EFCC had once released a report accusing him of diverting or laundering more than N46 billion belonging to Anambra’s local governments while he was governor.
During his later tenure overseeing the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, as Labour Minister, he was also questioned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC — with EFCC involvement — over alleged contract issues and claims of ‘job-racketeering.’
In a brief statement on Wednesday, Chukwuelobe explained that the rumour of Ngige’s supposed abduction spread rapidly, forcing him to clear the air.
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.’”
He stressed that no abduction took place, confirming instead that the former minister is with anti-graft investigators.
“Ngige is with the EFCC. He was not ‘abducted’ or ‘kidnapped’,” he stated.
Efforts to independently confirm the development from the EFCC were unsuccessful on Wednesday night, as the Commission maintained silence and its spokesman, Dele Oyewale, did not comment on Ngige’s reported arrest.
Chukwuelobe added that more details regarding Ngige’s situation would be released when necessary.
His intervention helped calm initial panic and redirected public attention to the EFCC’s ongoing engagement with the former minister.
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