A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a request by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, who sought to stop the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), from releasing his academic records.
Justice Hausa Yilwa, in a ruling delivered on September 22, dismissed Nnaji’s request for an interim injunction, according to a Certified True Copy of the judgment sighted on Sunday.
Through an ex parte motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, Nnaji had asked the court to restrain the university from “releasing or tampering with” his academic records.
After reviewing the arguments, Justice Yilwa granted three of the Minister’s prayers (regarding his interest in the matter and compelling the university to release his academic transcript), but specifically “declined” the request for an injunction.
Read Also: He Did Not Graduate – UNN Disowns Minister Uche Nnaji’s Degree Certificate
The Judge ruled:“I find that the applicant has sufficient interest in the matter, and the application is partly meritorious. Accordingly, prayers 1, 2 and 3 are granted, while prayer 4, which sought an injunction, is declined.”
Justice Yilwa further clarified that the approved reliefs should not be interpreted as restraining any party from carrying out its lawful duties: “Prayer 4 is declined. Having being refused the granting of reliefs 1-3 shall not serve as injunctive reliefs against any of the parties. That’s the order of the court,” the Judge declared.
The ruling comes as the UNN maintains its stance that the Minister never graduated.
The Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, stated in a letter dated October 2, 2025:“From our records, we cannot confirm that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985. There are no records showing that he completed his studies.”
The university further stated that it “could not have issued him any certificate” since he did not complete his studies—a position it said was consistent with a previous letter sent to the Public Complaints Commission in May 2025.
In court documents filed in the suit, Nnaji admitted that he had “not yet collected his degree certificate,” despite the fact that a certificate was submitted to the Senate in August 2023 during his ministerial screening.
He stated in his filing that though he is “yet to collect my certificate from UNN due to the non-cooperative attitude of the university authorities,” the institution had once confirmed his graduation:“Even though I am yet to collect my certificate from UNN due to the non-cooperative attitude of the university authorities, the institution had issued a letter dated December 21, 2023, to an online news platform confirming that I graduated in July 1985 with a Second Class (Lower Division) in Microbiology/Biochemistry,” he stated.
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