The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed the arrest of a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
The ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, disclosed this in a press release on Wednesday night time.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported on Wednesday morning that Mr Nnaji was arrested on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from Enugu by way of a chartered flight.
This newspaper, in early June, completely reported that the ICPC had launched a manhunt for Mr Nnaji after the previous minister did not honour invites prolonged to him by the anti-graft company.
The ICPC’s invitation adopted a painstaking two-year investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES in October final 12 months, which revealed that the then-minister cast his UNN diploma and NYSC certificates, which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate throughout his ministerial affirmation in 2023.
Meanwhile, this newspaper exclusively reported in mid June {that a} federal excessive courtroom in Abuja ordered the ICPC to arrest Mr Nnaji for investigation into his certificates forgery scandal.
But the previous minister, regardless of persistently denying the existence of the arrest order, filed an appeal against the order on 18 June on the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Why we arrested Nnaji
In the Wednesday assertion, Mr Odey mentioned the ICPC, assisted by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS), arrested Mr Nnaji on the Abuja airport.
“He was apprehended with the help of the State Security Services (SSS) and subsequently handed over to the ICPC for additional investigation.
“Following the arrest, Mr Nnaji has been taken into custody at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, where investigations are expected to continue,” he mentioned.
“The commission assures the public that the matter will be pursued diligently in accordance with the law.”
The ICPC spokesperson defined that Mr Nnaji’s arrest adopted a federal excessive courtroom ruling ordering his arrest.
He mentioned the anti-graft company sought the courtroom order as a result of the previous repeatedly ignored multiple invitations from the fee.
Mr Odey mentioned the ICPC repeatedly invited Mr Nnaji for questioning regarding his certificates forgery scandal, which was uncovered by a PREMIUM TIMES investigation.
He mentioned that, aside from the UNN diploma certificates, the previous minister was invited to reply questions concerning the alleged forgery of his NYSC discharge certificates, which he submitted throughout his ministerial screening in 2023.
Background
In October 2023, PREMIUM TIMES started investigating Mr Nnaji’s educational data.
The then-minister had submitted a level and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate throughout his ministerial affirmation in 2023.
He claimed he obtained a level certificates from UNN, the place he purportedly graduated in 1985.
Apparently disturbed by the scrutiny, Mr Nnaji filed a swimsuit on the Federal High Court in Abuja to dam each UNN and its vice-chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, a professor, from releasing his educational data.
Apart from the UNN and its vice-chancellor, the minister of training, the National Universities Commission, the college’s registrar, its former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Oguejiofo Ujam, a professor, and the Senate of the college had been listed as defendants within the swimsuit.
However, the politician, by means of his authorized group, lately utilized for an out-of-court settlement.
Before the then-minister might get hold of an injunction from the courtroom, Mr Ortuanya had responded to PREMIUM TIMES’ Freedom of Information (FOI) letter, confirming that Mr Nnaji had cast his UNN diploma certificates.
The UNN registrar would shortly thereafter corroborate Mr Ortuanya’s place, indicating that though Mr Nnaji was admitted to the college in 1981, he neither graduated nor was issued any certificates.
NYSC authorities, in response to a separate FOI letter from PREMIUM TIMES, had disowned the discharge certificates in possession of the then-minister.
Mr Nnaji resigned from his place as minister three days after this newspaper printed the investigation exposing how he cast his diploma and NYSC certificates.
Many Nigerians had known as for Mr Nnaji’s prosecution, sustaining that his resignation was insufficient in mild of his violations of assorted Nigerian legal guidelines, together with the Criminal Code Act.
Earlier this 12 months, a authorized practitioner, Liborous Oshoma, criticised the Nigerian authorities for failing to prosecute Mr Nnaji over the certificates forgery scandal, sustaining that folks like the previous minister “should be prosecuted and banned from holding public office to serve as a deterrent to others.”
Meanwhile, in March, this newspaper additionally completely reported that an investigative panel arrange by Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, discovered that Mr Nnaji certainly cast his diploma and NYSC certificates.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the previous minister “quietly” moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), below which he unsuccessfully contested the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State.
In late May, Mr Nnaji emerged because the governorship candidate of the Mr Wike-backed PDP faction forward of the 2027 common election.
Within the identical interval, this newspaper completely reported that Mr Nnaji was determined to turn out to be governor so as, amongst different causes, to take pleasure in immunity from prosecution if he received the governorship ballot.