The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has obtained a courtroom warrant to detain former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, for an preliminary 14 days, following his arrest on Wednesday over a certificate forgery scandal.
An official on the fee instructed PREMIUM TIMES that the remand warrant would enable the ICPC to maintain Mr Nnaji for interrogation within the first occasion, with the opportunity of an additional extension.
Mr Nnaji was arrested on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from Enugu aboard a chartered flight, and was subsequently handed over to the ICPC.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported the arrest, citing authoritative sources on the airport.
The ICPC later confirmed the arrest in a press release by its spokesperson, John Odey.
This newspaper, in early June, solely reported that the ICPC had launched a manhunt for Mr Nnaji after the previous minister failed to honour invites prolonged to him by the anti-graft company.
The ICPC’s invitation adopted a two-year investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES in October final yr, which revealed that the then-minister solid 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 High Court in Abuja ordered the ICPC to arrest Mr Nnaji for investigation into his certificate forgery scandal. But the previous minister, regardless of constantly denying the existence of the arrest order, filed an appeal against the order on 18 June on the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
In the Wednesday assertion, Mr Odey stated 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 stated.
“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 High Court ruling ordering his arrest.
He stated the anti-graft company sought the courtroom order as a result of the previous repeatedly ignored multiple invitations from the fee.
Mr Odey stated the ICPC repeatedly invited Mr Nnaji for questioning regarding his certificate forgery scandal.
He famous that, aside from the UNN diploma certificate, the previous minister was invited to reply questions in regards to the alleged forgery of his NYSC discharge certificate, which he submitted throughout his ministerial screening in 2023.
Background
In October 2023, PREMIUM TIMES started investigating Mr Nnaji’s tutorial data.
The then-minister had submitted a level certificate and an NYSC discharge certificate to President Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate throughout his ministerial affirmation in 2023. He claimed he obtained the diploma certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (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 block UNN and its vice-chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, a professor, from releasing his tutorial data. Other defendants listed within the swimsuit included the minister of training, the National Universities Commission, the college’s registrar, its former performing vice-chancellor, Oguejiofo Ujam, a professor, and the college’s Senate. However, the politician, by means of his authorized group, lately utilized for an out-of-court settlement.
Before the then-minister may receive an injunction from the courtroom, Mr Ortuanya had responded to a Freedom of Information (FOI) letter from PREMIUM TIMES, confirming that Mr Nnaji had solid his UNN diploma certificate.
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 a certificate. NYSC authorities, in response to a separate FOI letter from PREMIUM TIMES, disowned the discharge certificate within the then-minister’s possession.
Mr Nnaji resigned as minister three days after this newspaper printed the investigation. Many Nigerians known as for his prosecution, sustaining that his resignation was insufficient given his violations of assorted Nigerian legal guidelines, together with the Criminal Code Act.
Earlier this yr, a authorized practitioner, Liborous Oshoma, criticised the Nigerian authorities for failing to prosecute Mr Nnaji over the certificate 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.”
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Meanwhile, in March, this newspaper solely reported that an investigative panel arrange by Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, discovered that Mr Nnaji had certainly solid 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), underneath which he unsuccessfully contested the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State. In late May, Mr Nnaji emerged because the governorship candidate of the Nyesom Wike-backed PDP faction forward of the 2027 normal election.
Within the identical interval, this newspaper additionally reported that Mr Nnaji sought to grow to be governor, partly to take pleasure in immunity from prosecution that will be assured if he wins and is sworn in as governor.