The immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, this morning, July 1.
Premiumtimes reports that Nnaji was arrested shortly after disembarking from a chartered flight and would be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for interrogation.
The ICPC had been on the trail of the former minister since he resigned from office last year following investigations that revealed he had forged his academic certificates.
The ICPC had told the court that its ex parte application followed Nnaji’s repeated failure to honour invitations extended to him for “investigative activities” over the forgery allegations.
It is alleged that the former minister forged his University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation in 2023.
It is alleged that the forged bachelor’s degree and NYSC certificate were also presented to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the State Security Service, and the Senate.
On June 13, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the ICPC to arrest Nnaji for investigation into the certificate forgery scandal. Beyond the arrest order, the court also granted the commission leave to declare him wanted through national newspapers, social media platforms and other media.