Nnaji’s certificates face fresh scrutiny as an ICPC witness tells an Abuja court that UNN and NYSC denied issuing the disputed credentials
ABUJA, Nigeria, Monday, 26 October 2026: Superintendent of Police Yakubu Ibrahim, an investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had denied issuing certificates attributed to former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, during his ministerial screening in 2023.
Ibrahim gave the testimony before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik as the first prosecution witness in the case involving allegations of certificate forgery, false information and other offences against the former minister.
The evidence forms part of the prosecution’s attempt to establish how the disputed credentials were obtained and presented.
According to Ibrahim, the ICPC began investigating the matter after receiving two separate petitions alleging certificate forgery.
The commission subsequently contacted the National Assembly, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, UNN and the NYSC to authenticate the documents attributed to Nnaji.
The documents included a Bachelor of Science certificate in Microbiology and Biochemistry, allegedly issued by UNN, and an NYSC discharge certificate bearing a date in May 1986.
Ibrahim said the Clerk of the Senate forwarded the certificates to the commission for examination.
The investigator told the court that the NYSC responded that it had not issued the discharge certificate.
UNN similarly denied issuing the degree certificate, according to the witness, and supplied academic records relating to Nnaji’s time at the institution.
Those records became a significant part of the proceedings. Ibrahim said the university provided a withdrawal notice dated 7 November 1984, concerning Nnaji’s performance in General Microbiology.
He also described the university’s stated examination rules and its position on the grades required for a degree.
According to the witness, the university’s correspondence indicated that Nnaji had failed at two examination stages, missed a third stage for medical reasons and subsequently sat a supplementary examination for which he had not registered. Ibrahim said the university maintained that the relevant academic requirements had not been met.
However, the defence challenged the implications of the earlier academic record. During cross-examination, Nnaji’s counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Wole Olanipekun, drew attention to a subsequent letter dated 18 March 1985, which he said rescinded the earlier withdrawal notice.
The exchange raised questions about how the university’s correspondence should be interpreted and what the records establish about Nnaji’s academic status.
The court will have to assess the documentary evidence alongside the testimony and any further evidence presented by both sides.
Ibrahim also acknowledged limitations in the investigation. Under cross-examination, he admitted that he had not personally visited UNN and could not identify where the disputed certificates were allegedly forged.
He said, however, that members of the investigating team had interviewed a university registrar.
The witness explained that investigators did not establish where Nnaji undertook his national service because the NYSC had denied issuing the certificate attributed to him.
“The NYSC said the certificate was not issued by it, which was why we didn’t inquire where he served,” Ibrahim told the court.
The distinction is important to the case: the institutions’ reported denials form part of the prosecution’s evidence, while questions about the investigation’s scope and the interpretation of the university records remain matters for the judicial process.
The court admitted documents presented by the prosecution, with objections to their admissibility reserved for consideration at the appropriate stage, according to reports of the proceedings.
The admission of documents does not, by itself, amount to a finding that the allegations against Nnaji have been proved.
The ICPC also presented evidence concerning payments made to Nnaji while he served as minister.
Ibrahim said documents obtained from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s office, including a payslip, prompted investigators to request the former minister’s bank statement.
According to the witness, the statement indicated that Nnaji received approximately ₦29.5 million in ministerial salaries before resigning.
The commission alleges that the payments are linked to unlawful acts.
The allegation remains part of the prosecution’s case and is not an established finding of guilt.
The current proceedings follow a controversy that intensified in October 2025, when an investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES raised questions about the academic and national service credentials Nnaji submitted during the process leading to his appointment.
Nnaji resigned as minister on 7 October 2025, after the allegations became public.
Nnaji maintained that his resignation should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt.
His departure from office therefore did not resolve the underlying dispute, which has since moved into the courts.
The ICPC later brought a six-count case against the former minister.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include allegations relating to forged certificates and other offences.
Nnaji was granted bail on conditions that included a ₦20 million bond, one surety and the surrender of his international passport, according to court reports.
Ibrahim’s testimony marks an important stage in the prosecution’s presentation, but it also illustrates the contested nature of the case.
The reported responses from UNN and the NYSC are central to the allegations, while the defence has drawn attention to the investigator’s lack of a personal visit to the university and the later correspondence concerning the withdrawal notice.
The matter carries wider public significance because the disputed documents relate to credentials reportedly submitted during ministerial screening.
The case also highlights the role of universities, professional institutions and public authorities in verifying qualifications presented for senior public appointments.
Further proceedings are expected to examine the prosecution’s evidence and any additional testimony. Reports published after Monday’s hearing gave differing dates for the next sitting, with TheCable reporting 3 November and Punch reporting 5 November 2026.
Until the court reaches a determination, the allegations against Nnaji remain allegations.
The eventual outcome will depend on the evidence admitted, the arguments advanced by the prosecution and defence, and the court’s assessment of the case.
