Certificate Scandal: UNN, NYSC Disown Uche Nnaji’s Certificates, ICPC Witness Tells Court

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have denied issuing certificates allegedly presented by former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, an investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The disclosure was made on Monday, October 26, 2026, when Superintendent of Police Yakubu Ibrahim testified as the first prosecution witness in Nnaji’s trial over alleged certificate forgery, fraud, corruption and providing false information.

Ibrahim, who was led in evidence by the ICPC’s prosecuting counsel, J.A. Mumini, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik that the commission launched an investigation after receiving two separate petitions alleging that Nnaji presented questionable academic and national service certificates during his ministerial screening in 2023.

According to the witness, the investigation team sought documents from the National Assembly, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), UNN and the NYSC to establish the authenticity of the certificates attributed to the former minister.

He said the Clerk of the Senate forwarded Nnaji’s Bachelor of Science certificate in Microbiology and Biochemistry, alongside his NYSC discharge certificate, to the commission for verification.

Ibrahim testified that the NYSC responded that it did not issue the discharge certificate presented in Nnaji’s name. He added that UNN similarly denied issuing the degree certificate attributed to the former minister.

The investigator said the university also supplied academic records relating to Nnaji’s studies, including a withdrawal notice dated November 7, 1984, concerning a course in General Microbiology.

According to his testimony, UNN explained that its academic regulations required students to obtain the prescribed grades and that students who failed to meet the requirements after four attempts would not qualify for a degree.

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Ibrahim said the university’s records indicated that Nnaji failed at two stages and did not sit an examination at another stage for medical reasons. He added that the correspondence showed that Nnaji subsequently sat a supplementary examination for which he had not registered.

However, during cross-examination, Nnaji’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, drew the witness’s attention to another letter dated March 18, 1985, which he said rescinded the earlier withdrawal notice.

Ibrahim acknowledged the letter and confirmed that the original notice concerned General Microbiology. The exchange brought the university’s academic correspondence into focus during the proceedings.

The witness also admitted that he did not personally visit UNN during the investigation. He said, however, that members of the investigating team interviewed the university’s registrar.

When asked whether investigators established where the allegedly forged certificates were produced, Ibrahim said he did not know.

He further explained that the commission did not establish where Nnaji completed his national service because the NYSC had denied issuing the certificate in question.

“The NYSC said the certificate was not issued by it, which was why we didn’t inquire where he served,” the witness told the court.

Ibrahim also gave details of the steps taken to invite Nnaji for questioning. He said investigators could not initially locate the former minister’s address and subsequently sent an invitation to his email address and WhatsApp number.

According to the witness, Nnaji did not honour the invitation, prompting the ICPC to liaise with the Department of State Services (DSS). He said the former minister was arrested on July 1, 2026, and made statements to investigators on July 1 and 2.

The ICPC had earlier confirmed that Nnaji was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, following a court order authorising his arrest for investigation into the allegations.

The investigator further told the court that the commission obtained documents from the SGF’s office, including a payslip, which prompted it to request the former minister’s bank statement.

He said the bank statement showed that Nnaji received approximately ₦29.58 million in salaries and allowances while serving as minister before his resignation.

The payments form part of the wider allegations in the case. The ICPC accuses Nnaji of receiving the money under circumstances it alleges involved unlawful proceeds and of using his position to confer a corrupt advantage on himself.

The six-count charge also includes allegations that he knowingly presented and used purportedly forged UNN and NYSC certificates as genuine documents.

Nnaji was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 13, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to all six counts. The court granted him bail in the sum of ₦20 million, subject to conditions, including the surrender of his international passport.

In September, Justice Abdulmalik temporarily released the passport to enable him to travel abroad for medical treatment, while the case remained pending.

During the latest proceedings, the prosecution tendered correspondence between the ICPC and the relevant institutions and government offices. The defence reserved its right to challenge the admissibility of the documents at the appropriate stage, and the court admitted them subject to the judge’s ruling that objections could be considered during final addresses.

At the conclusion of the cross-examination, the prosecution did not re-examine Ibrahim, and the judge discharged him as a witness.

The trial was adjourned for continuation, with reports indicating November as the next hearing period.

The case follows earlier reporting on questions surrounding Nnaji’s academic credentials, which drew public attention before his resignation as minister in 2025. The current proceedings are intended to determine the criminal allegations brought by the ICPC.

Nnaji remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until the court establishes his guilt. The testimony presented so far represents evidence from the prosecution’s investigation, and the court has yet to deliver a final judgment on the charges.