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

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

In its ruling on Thursday, a federal high court in Abuja has ordered his arrest after an ex parte application made by the ICPC in a suit captioned FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026.

Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s President, appointed him minister in August 2023.

Nnaji resigned from office after claims that he fabricated his credentials in academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The ex parte application, dated June 3 and made on June 4, was accompanied by an affidavit sworn by David Nelson.

Speaking at the hearing, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, lawyer for ICPC, said the ex parte application came as Nnaji had failed to show up at the commission in response to an invitation for investigations of allegations of certificate forgery.

Akponimisingha requested from the court an order to enable the commission to publish Nnaji as wanted in any Nigerian newspapers, on social media, or even any other means of communications as a suspect who had “failed to honour the commission’s invitation for investigations”.

The commission requested an order from the court for issuing a bench/warrant of arrest to direct its operatives or other law enforcement agencies, as well as individuals, to locate and arrest Nnaji to submit him before the ICPC for investigations.

In addition, it asked for orders from the court as it deems fit in the prevailing circumstances.

The court granted all the requests.

Further more, the court held that the order would cease to operate upon his arrest.

It should be noted that recently, Nnaji has been announced as the PDP’s flag bearer for the 2027 gubernatorial elections in Enugu.