The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a court order authorising the detention of former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, for an initial 14 days as investigations into allegations of certificate forgery intensify.
The remand order followed Nnaji’s arrest on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after he arrived from Enugu aboard a chartered flight.
An official of the anti-graft agency disclosed that the court-approved remand would enable investigators to interrogate the former minister, with the possibility of seeking an extension if necessary.
ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, confirmed the arrest in a statement, saying operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) assisted in apprehending the former minister before handing him over to the commission.
“He was apprehended with the assistance of the State Security Services (SSS) and subsequently handed over to the ICPC for further investigation,” Odey said.
He added that Nnaji is currently being held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja while investigations continue.
According to the ICPC, the arrest followed an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja directing the commission to arrest the former minister after he allegedly failed to honour several invitations extended to him in connection with the investigation.
The commission said Nnaji repeatedly ignored requests to answer questions over allegations that he forged both his University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree certificate and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, documents he reportedly submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial confirmation in 2023.
The forgery allegations stem from an investigative report published last year, which claimed that records from UNN showed Nnaji never graduated from the institution despite presenting a degree certificate.
The report also cited the NYSC as disowning the discharge certificate submitted by the former minister.
The controversy forced Nnaji to resign from the Federal Executive Council shortly after the investigation was published, amid mounting public pressure for his prosecution.
Subsequent investigations reportedly reinforced the allegations. An investigative panel established by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, was said to have concluded that the former minister forged both his university degree and NYSC certificates.
Court documents also show that Nnaji appealed the Federal High Court order authorising his arrest after initially denying its existence.
The former minister had earlier instituted legal proceedings seeking to prevent the University of Nigeria from releasing his academic records but later applied for an out-of-court settlement.
The ICPC said investigations into the alleged certificate forgery are continuing and assured Nigerians that the case would be pursued diligently in accordance with the law.
