The immediate past Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was arrested on Wednesday at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, while preparing to board a chartered flight to Abuja.
Authoritative sources confirmed the arrest, stating that Mr. Nnaji would be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for interrogation.
This arrest follows a long-standing investigation into allegations that Mr. Nnaji forged his University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates.
These documents were previously submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation process in 2023.
In mid-June, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted the ICPC an ex parte motion to arrest Mr. Nnaji, following his repeated failure to honor the commission’s formal invitations for “investigative activities.”
Beyond the arrest warrant, the court also authorized the commission to declare him wanted through national newspapers, social media, and other media platforms.
The former minister had previously denied the existence of any such court order, characterizing reports regarding the investigation as a “media trial.”
Despite these denials and a subsequent appeal filed by his legal team on June 18, the arrest warrant remained active until his apprehension on Wednesday.
The ICPC’s investigation is rooted in a two-year inquiry that alleged significant discrepancies in the academic credentials submitted by the former minister during his time in office.
