An investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Yakubu Ibrahim, on Monday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) denied issuing the degree and discharge certificates presented by former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, during his ministerial screening in 2023.
Sponsored Ads
Ibrahim, a Superintendent of Police, testified as the first prosecution witness in the trial of Nnaji, who is facing a six-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/389/2026. The charges border on alleged corruption, fraud, conferring corrupt advantage and providing false information through the purported presentation of forged university and national service certificates.
Sponsored Ads
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, J. A. Mumini (SAN), the witness said he was part of the ICPC team assigned to investigate two separate petitions alleging certificate forgery against the former minister.
He explained that the investigation began after the commission received the petitions, following which the Chairman of the Special Task Force directed the team to investigate the allegations. The commission subsequently requested relevant documents from the National Assembly, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, UNN and the NYSC.
Ibrahim said the investigators wrote to UNN to verify the Bachelor of Science certificate in Microbiology and Biochemistry allegedly submitted by Nnaji to the Senate.
According to the witness, the university replied that it had not issued the certificate attributed to Nnaji, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Enugu State for the 2027 election.
He added that the team also contacted the NYSC to authenticate a discharge certificate dated May 15, 1986. The corps, he said, equally denied issuing the document to the former minister.
The investigator further told the court that UNN provided the team with Nnaji’s academic records, including a notice of withdrawal issued over his failure to obtain the required grade in a course.
When shown copies of the correspondence between the ICPC and the two institutions, Ibrahim identified the documents, which the prosecution sought to tender as evidence.
Defence counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), said he would not oppose their admission at that stage but reserved the right to challenge them later.
On the efforts made to interview Nnaji, Ibrahim said the head of his section issued an invitation to the defendant, but investigators were unable to locate his address.
He said the invitation, dated May 5, 2026, was subsequently sent to Nnaji’s email address and WhatsApp number.
According to the witness, after the former minister failed to honour the invitation, the ICPC worked with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest him on July 1.
Ibrahim added that Nnaji was questioned and made statements dated July 1 and 2.
RELATED STORIES
Related Posts
During cross-examination by Olanipekun, the witness admitted that he did not personally visit UNN during the investigation and did not know the faculty to which Nnaji had been admitted.
He, however, said members of the investigating team interviewed the university’s Registrar.
Asked whether the investigation established where the alleged certificates were forged, Ibrahim said he did not know.
He also told the court that Nnaji made no comment on the allegations when questioned by investigators.
On whether the team investigated where the former minister completed his national service, the witness said it did not, explaining that the NYSC had already denied issuing the disputed certificate.
The witness told the court that the investigators did not pursue the matter further because the corps maintained that the document was not issued by it.
Ibrahim also confirmed that he had seen a notice of withdrawal supplied by UNN. When asked to identify the document, he recognised it as Exhibit C, dated November 7, 1984.
He said the university’s correspondence explained the policy governing the grades required for the award of a certificate, adding that a student who failed the required course four times would not qualify.
According to Ibrahim, Nnaji failed at two stages and did not sit the examination at the third stage for medical reasons.
The witness further alleged that the former minister went ahead to take a supplementary examination for which he had not registered.
Ibrahim reiterated that UNN confirmed it did not issue the BSc certificate in Microbiology and Biochemistry attributed to Nnaji.
Olanipekun suggested during cross-examination that a subsequent letter dated March 18, 1985, had reversed the earlier withdrawal notice. Ibrahim agreed that the notice concerned a course in General Microbiology.
The investigator also acknowledged that the team did not establish the number of years a student studying Microbiology was expected to spend at the university.
At the end of the cross-examination, the prosecution declined to re-examine the witness. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik subsequently discharged him and adjourned further proceedings until November 3.
Nnaji had resigned as Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology following the certificate forgery controversy. He reportedly did not include the disputed degree certificate in his Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) filing ahead of the 2027 election, in which he is seeking to contest the Enugu State governorship election on the platform of the PDP.
Comments are closed.