Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, has appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of certificate forgery related to documents he submitted during his ministerial screening in 2023.
Nnaji, who served in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet from August 16, 2023, to October 7, 2025, is facing prosecution by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over claims that he forged his University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree certificate and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
This matter came to public attention after a two-year investigation by Premium Times alleged that Nnaji’s academic documents were not genuine.
According to the report, UNN disowned the Bachelor of Science certificate Nnaji claimed to have obtained from the institution, stating that there were no records showing he graduated in July 1985 as alleged. The university later confirmed in a letter dated October 2, 2025, that while Nnaji was admitted in 1981, it had no record of his completion or graduation. NYSC authorities also disowned the discharge certificate in his possession.
Three days after the investigation was published, Nnaji resigned from office. He described the allegations as “politically motivated” and said his resignation was “not an admission of guilt, but rather a principled decision to respect the sanctity of due process”.
On June 11, 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an ex parte motion filed by ICPC in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026, directing the commission to arrest the former minister for prosecution.
Nnaji was subsequently arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja shortly after arriving on a chartered flight from Enugu State. He was later handed over to ICPC headquarters in Abuja for questioning.
ICPC stated that invitations had been served to Nnaji’s known addresses and email, but he failed to honour them before the court order was obtained.
Nnaji arrived at the court on Monday morning ahead of proceedings before Judge Abdulmalik. Dressed in a white outfit and a red cap. He raised his right hand to acknowledge cheers from supporters and other attendees as he walked in to answer charges relating to the alleged forgery of both the UNN degree and the NYSC certificate submitted to the Senate during his 2023 screening.
Despite the ongoing case, Nnaji has remained active in politics. He recently defected from the APC to the PDP and emerged as the PDP governorship candidate for Enugu State for the 2027 election after polling 7,424 votes in the party primary.
Franklin Udosen
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