The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have both disowned the credentials submitted to the Senate by the former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, an investigator testified before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Nnaji is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a six-count charge bordering on corruption, fraud, conferring corrupt advantage upon himself, and presenting false degree and national service certificates.
Testifying as the first prosecution witness (PW1), ICPC investigator Yakubu Ibrahim told the court that his team wrote to both institutions to verify the credentials submitted by the defendant during his ministerial screening.
”We wrote to UNN about the authenticity of the BSc Microbiology/Biochemistry certificate which the defendant submitted,” Ibrahim testified. “The university claimed not to have issued the certificate.”
The witness stated that a separate verification request sent to the NYSC yielded a similar response.
”We also wrote to the NYSC and they responded that, based on our request for them to authenticate the NYSC certificate, dated 1989, it was not issued by them,” Ibrahim told the court.
According to the witness, UNN also provided investigators with Nnaji’s academic records, which contained a notice of withdrawal issued after he failed to attain the required grade in a course.
The prosecution counsel, J. A. Mumini (SAN), tendered the official correspondence between the ICPC and the institutions into evidence after Ibrahim identified the documents in court. Defence counsel Wole Olanipekun (SAN) did not oppose the admission of the documents at the stage, reserving his objections for his final address.
Detailing the steps taken during the investigation, Ibrahim testified that the agency initially sent an invitation letter to the defendant’s email and WhatsApp address on May 5, 2026, after being unable to locate his physical address.
Following Nnaji’s failure to honor the invitation, the ICPC collaborated with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to effect his arrest on July 1, after which he was questioned and made written statements.
Under cross-examination by Olanipekun, Ibrahim admitted that he did not personally visit the UNN campus or verify the specific faculty to which Nnaji was originally admitted, though he noted that members of the investigating team interviewed the university registrar.
When asked if the investigation established where the certificates were forged or where Nnaji completed his service year, the witness explained the team’s position.
”The NYSC said the certificate was not issued by it, which was why we didn’t inquire where he served,” Ibrahim said.
Addressing the academic records tendered as “Exhibit C”, a notice of withdrawal dated November 7, 1984, relating to a General Microbiology course, the witness agreed with defence counsel that a subsequent university letter dated March 18, 1985, had rescinded the earlier withdrawal notice. He added, however, that his team did not ascertain the prescribed duration for a student enrolled in the degree program.
Nnaji, clad in white native attire and a red cap, remained in the dock throughout the trial proceedings.
Following the conclusion of cross-examination, the prosecution declined to re-examine the witness, and Justice Joyce Abdulmalik formally discharged Ibrahim.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case to November 3 for continuation of trial.
