The immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has been arrested by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, over allegations of certificate forgery.
According to reports, Nnaji was taken into custody on Wednesday shortly after arriving aboard a chartered flight at the Abuja airport.
He is expected to be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for interrogation in connection with the ongoing investigation.
The arrest follows months of efforts by the anti-graft agency to secure the former minister’s appearance after he allegedly failed to honour several invitations for questioning.
The ICPC had earlier informed the court that its application for an arrest warrant became necessary because Nnaji repeatedly refused to appear before investigators over allegations that he forged academic credentials.
The former minister is accused of submitting forged certificates, including a bachelor’s degree purportedly obtained from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
Investigators allege that the documents were presented to President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial screening and confirmation in 2023, as well as to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) as part of his official documentation.
In its application before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the ICPC stated that Nnaji had persistently failed to honour invitations extended to him for what it described as “investigative activities” relating to the alleged forgery.
On June 13, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the ICPC permission to arrest the former minister for investigation into the allegations.
The court also authorised the commission to declare him wanted through national newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels to facilitate his arrest.
Wednesday’s arrest marks the latest development in the high-profile case, with the former minister expected to face questioning by the anti-corruption agency as investigations continue.
