The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the discharge certificate presented by former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was not issued by the agency.
An NYSC official, Yusuf Jumare, disclosed this on Tuesday while testifying in the ongoing certificate forgery trial involving the former minister.
Nnaji, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Enugu State, is facing six charges bordering on alleged forgery of his NYSC discharge certificate and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), degree certificate.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is prosecuting him over allegations of certificate forgery and money laundering in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/389/2026.
Testifying as the second prosecution witness before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, Jumare, an Assistant Director in the NYSC Department of Certification, said an investigation conducted by his department at the request of the ICPC established that the disputed certificate was not authentic.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Jimoh Abdulmumuni (SAN), the witness identified four inconsistencies which, according to him, showed that the document was not issued by the NYSC.
He explained that although the certificate was purportedly issued in 1985, it carried the prefix ‘A’, which the corps only introduced in 1990.
Jumare also questioned the call-up number on the document, noting that it contained four digits, whereas NYSC call-up numbers issued in 1985 had five digits.
Another discrepancy, according to the witness, was the stated service duration of 13 months instead of the standard 12 months.
He further told the court that the document was signed by an official described as a ‘National General’, whereas the head of the NYSC at the time was officially designated as ‘Director’.
During the proceedings, the prosecution tendered copies of correspondence exchanged between the ICPC and the NYSC concerning the disputed certificate. The documents were admitted as exhibits by the court.
However, the defence indicated that it would reserve its objections to the admissibility of the documents, explaining that it had not been served copies.
In response, the prosecution counsel said he had recently taken over the case and promised to make the documents available to the defence.
During cross-examination by Bode Olanipekun (SAN), Jumare maintained that the certificate did not originate from the NYSC.
He explained that his department was responsible for keeping records of all certificates issued by the corps, adding that discharge certificates were only given to individuals who successfully completed their national service.
The witness further stated that NYSC call-up letters were sent to universities, which were also responsible for submitting the names of eligible graduates for mobilisation.
However, Jumare admitted under cross-examination that he did not establish whether Nnaji had previously been issued any certificate by the NYSC.
Nnaji’s defence team was led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN), alongside Ugwu Onoja (SAN), Bode Olanipekun (SAN) and George Ibrahim (SAN).
Following the proceedings, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until November 30 for the continuation of the witness’s cross-examination, while January 29 was fixed for further proceedings in the trial.
