Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, has appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja to answer allegations of certificate forgery linked to documents he submitted during his ministerial screening in 2023.
Nnaji, who served in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet from August 2023 until his resignation in October 2025, is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations that he forged his degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
The allegations followed a two-year investigation published in 2025, which claimed that the academic credentials presented by the former minister were not authentic.
According to the investigation, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, stated that while Nnaji was admitted to the institution in 1981, it had no record showing that he completed his studies or graduated in July 1985 as claimed. The NYSC also reportedly disowned the discharge certificate attributed to him.
Three days after the report was published, Nnaji resigned from office, insisting that the allegations were politically motivated. He maintained that his resignation was not an admission of guilt but a decision to allow due process to take its course.
On June 11, 2026, the Federal High Court granted an ex parte application filed by the ICPC authorising the arrest of the former minister for prosecution.
He was subsequently arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after arriving on a chartered flight from Enugu State and was taken to the ICPC headquarters for questioning.
The anti-corruption agency stated that several invitations had earlier been sent to his known residential addresses and email but were not honoured before it sought a court order for his arrest.
Nnaji appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Monday dressed in a white outfit and a red traditional cap. He acknowledged supporters present in the courtroom before proceedings commenced on charges relating to the alleged forgery of his UNN degree certificate and NYSC discharge certificate submitted during his Senate confirmation process in 2023.
Despite the legal proceedings, the former minister has remained politically active. He recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and secured the PDP governorship ticket for the 2027 Enugu State governorship election after polling 7,424 votes in the party’s primary election.