EXCLUSIVE: Court orders ex-Minister Uche Nnaji’s arrest for certificate forgery

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to arrest a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over certificate forgery.

The court gave the ruling on Thursday following an ex parte motion by the ICPC in suit number marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026.

The latest development followed a painstaking two-year investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES in October last year which revealed that Mr Nnaji forged his UNN degree and NYSC certificates which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation in 2023.

The ICPC’s ex parte motion dated 3 June was filed on 4 June, according to a court document exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

The commission, through David Nelson, deposed an affidavit in support of the ex parte motion and also filed a written address in the court’s registry.

Mr Nnaji was listed as the sole defendant while the federal government, represented by the ICPC, is the sole applicant in the suit.

The ICPC, through its lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, told the court that the ex parte motion was in response to Mr Nnaji’s failure to honour invitations extended to him by the commission for “investigative activities” over certificate forgery.

The ICPC asked the court to issue an order allowing the commission to declare Mr Nnaji wanted in any national newspaper, social media platforms or other medium for “failing to honour the commission’s invitations for investigation activities.”

The anti-graft agency also asked the court to give an order issuing a bench/warrant of arrest, directing operatives of the commission or other enforcement agents including private citizens to identify and arrest Mr Nnaji and hand him over to the commission for the purpose of investigation.

It also appealed to the court to grant any orders as it might deem fit in the circumstances.

In its ruling, the court granted an order allowing the ICPC to declare Mr Nnaji wanted in any national newspaper, social media platforms or other medium.

The court also gave an order issuing a bench/warrant of arrest, directing operatives of the ICPC or other enforcement agents including private citizens to identify and arrest Mr Nnaji and hand him over to the commission for the purpose of investigation.

It further ruled that the order would elapse only upon the arrest of Mr Nnaji.

A copy of the court’s warrant of arrest issued against Mr Nnaji was exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

The court document showed that Mr Nnaji is being investigated by the ICPC for alleged forgery, abuse of office, conferment of unfair advantage while being a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The ICPC is expected to arraign the former minister upon his arrest for the alleged offences.

The commission has been investigating Mr Nnaji’s forgery scandal.

Last week, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that the anti-graft agency launched a manhunt for the former minister over the certificate forgery.

In October 2023, PREMIUM TIMES began investigating Mr Nnaji’s academic records.

The then-minister had submitted a degree and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation in 2023.

He claimed he obtained a degree certificate from UNN, where he purportedly graduated in 1985.

Apparently disturbed that he was under scrutiny, Mr Nnaji filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to block both UNN and its vice-chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, a professor, from releasing his academic records.

Apart from the UNN and its vice-chancellor, the minister of education, the National Universities Commission, the university’s registrar, its former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Oguejiofo Ujam, a professor, and the Senate of the university were listed as defendants in the suit.

However, the politician, through his legal team, recently applied for an out-of-court settlement.

Before the then-minister could obtain an injunction from the court, Mr Ortuanya had responded to PREMIUM TIMES’ Freedom of Information (FOI) letter, confirming that Mr Nnaji had forged his UNN degree certificate.

The UNN registrar would shortly thereafter corroborate Mr Ortuanya’s position, indicating that although Mr Nnaji was admitted to the university in 1981, he neither graduated nor was issued any certificate.

NYSC authorities, in response to a separate FOI letter from PREMIUM TIMES, had disowned the discharge certificate in possession of the then-minister.

Mr Nnaji resigned from his position as minister three days after this newspaper published the investigation exposing how he forged his degree and NYSC certificates.

Many Nigerians had called for Mr Nnaji’s prosecution, maintaining that his resignation was inadequate in light of his violations of various Nigerian laws, including the Criminal Code Act.

Earlier this year, a legal practitioner, Liborous Oshoma, criticised the Nigerian government for failing to prosecute Mr Nnaji over the certificate forgery scandal, maintaining that people like the former minister “should be prosecuted and banned from holding public office to serve as a deterrent to others.”

Meanwhile, in March, this newspaper also exclusively reported that an investigative panel set up by Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, found that Mr Nnaji indeed forged his degree and NYSC certificates.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the former minister “quietly” moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), under which he unsuccessfully contested the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State.

In late May, Mr Nnaji emerged as the governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike-backed PDP faction ahead of the 2027 general election.

This newspaper also reported that Mr Nnaji wanted to become governor in order to, among other reasons, enjoy immunity from prosecution if he wins the governorship poll.