Witness Alleges Irregular Award of NSITF ₦80m Makurdi Contract
The first prosecution witness, PW1, Mr. Pedro Torwuese Chellen, on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, told a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Gwarimpa, Abuja, that the company awarded the ₦80 million renovation contract for the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Makurdi office did not participate in the bidding process.
Testifying before the court presided over by Justice M.A. Hassan in the trial of former Anambra State Governor and former Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, Chellen said the contract was improperly awarded.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, the witness—an entrepreneur and project manager of Imanil Haq Nigeria Limited—told the court that his company petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after discovering that the firm awarded the contract was not among the bidders.
He disclosed that following the petition, he was invited by the EFCC where his statements were taken. The petition and attached bid documents were identified in court and admitted as Exhibit P1.
Chellen narrated that his company applied for the contract and duly participated in the bidding process after it was advertised in national newspapers. However, after his company lost the bid, he wrote to the management of NSITF requesting details of the contract award, but received no response.
He said he subsequently escalated the matter to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), where it was revealed that the contract had been awarded to a company that did not take part in the bidding process.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, P.I.N. Ikwueto, SAN, the witness stated that his petition was against the management board of NSITF. He also complained about the change in the contract title from “Renovation of Makurdi Office” to “Construction of Makurdi Office,” adding that the original contract sum of ₦80 million was later increased to ₦120 million by the NSITF management board.
He confirmed that he made his statement to the EFCC in 2023 and alleged that there was massive corruption within NSITF. He further told the court that although he had never attended any NSITF board meeting, he learned through media reports that the board was later reconstituted.
The court adjourned the matter until January 29, 2026.
