“1985 Certificate Bears Prefix Introduced In 1990” — NYSC Witness Disowns Nnaji’s Certificate, Cites Four Defects At ICPC Trial

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has disowned the discharge certificate linked to former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, telling the Federal High Court in Abuja that the document was not issued by the Corps.

The NYSC identified four discrepancies in the certificate, including an incorrect certificate number, an irregular call-up number, a service period exceeding the statutory 12 months and the designation of the official who purportedly signed the document.

The disclosures were made on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, by Yusuf Abubakar Jumare, an Assistant Director in the NYSC Department of Certification, while testifying as the second prosecution witness (PW2) before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

Nnaji is standing trial on charges bordering on alleged certificate forgery and money laundering in a case instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), marked FHC/ABJ/CR/389/2026.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Jimoh Abdulmumuni, SAN, Jumare told the court that his department investigated the certificate following a formal request from the ICPC.

According to the witness, the investigation uncovered four irregularities that led the NYSC to conclude that the certificate attributed to the former minister was not issued by the organisation.

Explaining the first discrepancy, Jumare said the certificate, which purportedly dated back to 1985, carried a serial number beginning with the prefix “A”, although the NYSC did not introduce that prefix until 1990.

He maintained that the appearance of the prefix on a certificate purportedly issued five years before its introduction was inconsistent with the Corps’ certification records.

The witness identified the second irregularity as the call-up number printed on the certificate.

According to him, the document carried the four-digit call-up number “0137”, whereas call-up numbers issued to prospective corps members in 1985 contained five digits.

He explained that the numbering format was another indication that the certificate did not conform to the records and administrative procedures applicable during the period in question.

Jumare further told the court that the certificate reflected a service period of 13 months instead of the mandatory 12 calendar months prescribed for the National Youth Service Corps programme.

He maintained that the duration indicated on the document was inconsistent with the standard period of national service.

The fourth discrepancy, according to the witness, concerned the designation of the official who purportedly signed the certificate.

Jumare explained that the head of the NYSC was designated as “Director” during the period when Nnaji allegedly completed his national service.

However, he said the disputed certificate bore the signature of an official identified as “National General”, a designation that did not correspond with the title used by the head of the Corps at the relevant time.

The witness maintained that the discrepancies, taken together, established the NYSC’s position that the certificate was not issued by the organisation.

Following his testimony, the prosecution tendered copies of correspondence exchanged between the ICPC and the NYSC concerning the disputed certificate.

The documents were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits by the court.

However, the defence informed the court that it had not been served with copies of the documents and reserved its objections to their admissibility for a later stage of the proceedings.

Responding, prosecution counsel Abdulmumuni explained that he had only recently taken over the case and undertook to make the relevant documents available to the defence.

During cross-examination by defence counsel, Bode Olanikpekun, SAN, Jumare maintained that the disputed certificate was not issued by the NYSC.

He explained that the Department of Certification was responsible for maintaining the Corps’ certificate records and that certificates of national service were issued to eligible corps members only after the successful completion of their service year.

According to him, the certificate serves as official confirmation that a graduate has fulfilled the requirements of the national service programme.

The witness also explained the procedures governing the mobilisation of graduates for national service.

He told the court that universities were responsible for forwarding the names of eligible graduates to the NYSC for mobilisation.

Jumare added that call-up letters were transmitted to universities, where prospective corps members collected them before proceeding for national service.

However, under further questioning by Olanikpekun, the witness admitted that he had not checked whether Nnaji had ever been issued an NYSC certificate.

The admission formed part of the defence’s cross-examination of the witness concerning the scope of the investigation and the basis for the Corps’ conclusion about the disputed document.

The latest testimony follows earlier evidence presented by the ICPC concerning the academic and NYSC certificates attributed to the former minister.

At a previous sitting, an ICPC investigator told the court that both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the NYSC had denied issuing the certificates attributed to Nnaji.

The investigator also gave evidence concerning the Commission’s inquiries into the former minister’s academic records and the circumstances surrounding the documents allegedly submitted during his ministerial screening.

The ICPC alleges that Nnaji presented forged academic and NYSC certificates in connection with his appointment as minister in 2023.

The former minister has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The trial is therefore continuing, with the prosecution seeking to establish its allegations through documentary evidence and witness testimony, while the defence challenges aspects of the investigation and the evidence presented.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s proceedings, Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until November 30, 2026, for the continuation of the cross-examination of Jumare.

The court also fixed January 29, 2027, for the continuation of the trial.

Post Title: “1985 Certificate Bears Prefix Introduced In 1990” — NYSC Witness Disowns Nnaji’s Certificate, Cites Four Defects At ICPC Trial By Papers Nigeria.