Court orders arrest of ex-minister Uche Nnaji over alleged certificate forgery

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a warrant of arrest against Uche Nnaji, a former minister of innovation, science and technology.

The order was granted after the anti-corruption agency filed an ex parte motion before the court, seeking legal backing to arrest the former minister over his alleged failure to honour invitations issued during the course of investigations.

Nnaji, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu in August 2023, resigned from office after allegations surfaced that he submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials during his ministerial screening and confirmation process.

During proceedings, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, the counsel to the ICPC, told the court that the former minister repeatedly failed to appear before investigators despite several invitations.

The commission consequently sought an order permitting it to declare Nnaji wanted through newspapers, social media platforms and other communication channels for allegedly evading investigation.

ICPC also requested a bench warrant authorising its operatives and other law enforcement agencies to arrest and hand over the former minister for questioning.

After considering the application, the court granted all the reliefs sought by the commission and ruled that the warrant would remain in force until Nnaji is apprehended.

The development comes shortly after Nnaji emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2027 election in Enugu State.