THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed the arrest of a former minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over allegations of certificate forgery.
ICPC, in a statement on its website on Wednesday evening, July 1, signed by its Head of Media and Public Communications, Okor Odey, said Nnaji was arrested “following the execution of a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court.
The statement added that the former minister’s arrest was executed on Wednesday upon arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with the assistance of the Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequently handed over to the Commission for further investigation.
The ICPC said it had earlier extended formal invitations to Nnaji through a letter, referenced ICPC/HC/CSTF/GUN/GBT/T.1/VOLV16, dated May 15, this year, duly served to his known addresses in Abuja and Enugu, as well as via his electronic mail address.
“Despite service through multiple channels, Nnaji failed to appear for investigative interviews on the scheduled dates, necessitating further legal action.
“The legal action followed a court order granted by the Federal High Court in the Abuja Judicial Division (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026).”
It stated that the order, issued on June 11, directed the ICPC to arrest Nnaji to enable investigation into allegations bordering on forgery of academic credentials, specifically concerning a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and a false National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate, which was submitted during his ministerial screening process in 2023.
Following the arrest, Nnaji was taken into custody at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, where investigations were expected to continue diligently in accordance with the law.
Recall that Nnaji resigned from his position in October last year, following a report that claimed he forged his NYSC discharge certificate and that of his first degree.
Although he maintains that he actually graduated from UNN in 1975, the report indicated that the institution could not verify his academic records.
Nnaji, at that time, had insisted that the resignation was “not an admission of guilt” and the decision did not “come lightly,” adding: “My decision to step aside is, therefore, a personal choice, not an admission of guilt, but rather a principled decision to respect the sanctity of due process and to preserve the integrity of the judicial proceedings currently before the court.
“In the end, justice will prevail, and history will vindicate the just.”
He accused his political opponents of being behind what he tagged a “sustained campaign of falsehood.”
