The immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was arrested on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after arriving from Enugu on a chartered flight.
Airport sources confirmed that Nnaji was taken into custody and is expected to be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for questioning.
The arrest follows an ongoing investigation into allegations that the former minister submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates during his appointment process in 2023.
In June, a Federal High Court in Abuja authorised the ICPC to arrest Nnaji and also granted permission for the commission to declare him wanted through newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels.
The anti-corruption agency told the court that the application became necessary after Nnaji allegedly failed to honour several invitations for investigative interviews.
The case stems from reports alleging that the former minister presented a forged degree certificate purportedly issued by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as well as a forged NYSC certificate, to various government institutions during his ministerial confirmation process.
According to the reports, the documents were submitted to the Presidency, the Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and security agencies.
Nnaji later acknowledged that UNN did not issue him the degree certificate in question, a development that intensified the investigation.
He has since challenged the court’s arrest order at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, filing an appeal on 18 June while maintaining that he is being subjected to unfair public scrutiny.
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