Lawyers urge Tinubu not to shield ex-minister as ICPC probes alleged certificate forgery

A coalition of lawyers and public interest analysts has called on Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the investigation into alleged certificate forgery by former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, proceeds without political interference. The group, led by lawyer Liborous Oshoma, praised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for arresting the former minister but expressed concern over the perceived slow pace of the investigation.

The lawyers emphasized that Nnaji’s resignation from his position in 2025 does not exempt him from facing the allegations. They urged the ICPC to pursue the case to its conclusion. Their appeal follows the ICPC's announcement of Nnaji's arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The arrest occurred while executing a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court, as Nnaji had reportedly failed to honor multiple invitations regarding the allegations.

The allegations center on a forged degree certificate from the University of Nigeria (UNN) and a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, both submitted during his ministerial screening in 2023. These claims stem from a two-year investigation by PREMIUM TIMES, published in October 2025. The investigation found that Nnaji, despite being admitted to UNN in 1981/82 for Microbiology/Biochemistry, did not graduate after failing a mandatory Virology course. The university did not issue him a degree certificate, and the NYSC discharge certificate was also confirmed as forged.

Nnaji resigned from his ministerial role just three days after the PREMIUM TIMES investigation was published. Subsequently, a federal government panel reviewed university records, including graduation lists and registry documents, corroborating PREMIUM TIMES' findings that Nnaji never graduated from UNN. The ICPC stated that the Federal High Court authorized Nnaji's arrest after the commission informed the court of his repeated failure to respond to invitations for questioning. Although Nnaji initially denied the arrest warrant's existence, he later appealed the court's decision.

“

Mr Nnaji’s resignation from office in 2025 did not absolve him of the allegations and urged the anti-graft agency to pursue the case to its logical conclusion.