Court Hears UNN, NYSC Disowned Nnaji's Certificates

A witness on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) denied certificates linked to Geoffrey Nnaji, the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

The witness, Yakubu Ibrahim, is a superintendent of police with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). He made this statement while being questioned by prosecution lawyer J.A Mumini, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The ICPC is prosecuting Mr Nnaji for certificate forgery and money laundering. An investigation by PREMIUM TIMES revealed a certificate forgery scandal that led to Mr Nnaji's removal from office last year.

Mr Nnaji is currently the governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2027 election in Enugu State.

Ibrahim said his team looked into the case after the commission received two separate petitions accusing Mr Nnaji of certificate forgery. He noted that the Chairman of the Special Task Force ordered the investigation. This led to the commission requesting relevant documents from the National Assembly, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), UNN, and NYSC.

According to Ibrahim, the Clerk of the Senate sent Mr Nnaji's NYSC and BSc certificates in Microbiology and Biochemistry to the commission. He stated that NYSC confirmed that the certificate in question was not issued by them.

The witness also told the court that UNN stated Mr Nnaji did not earn the necessary grades to receive his certificate. He explained that the university's policy requires students to pass all their exams. Failing four times makes one ineligible.

Ibrahim said Mr Nnaji failed two exams and did not take the third due to medical reasons. He added that Mr Nnaji attempted a supplementary exam without registering for it.

Ibrahim further testified that UNN confirmed that the BSc certificate in Microbiology and Biochemistry linked to Mr Nnaji was not issued by the university. He said the commission also got documents from the SGF's office, including a payslip that led to a request for Mr Nnaji's bank statement.

He mentioned that the bank statement showed Mr Nnaji received N29.5 million in salary while he served as minister before resigning. The witness identified letters sent to the Clerk of the Senate, SGF, UNN, NYSC, the bank, and Mr Nnaji that were submitted as evidence.

Ibrahim also informed the court that Mr Nnaji did not respond to the commission's invitation to answer questions about the petitions. This led the ICPC to contact the State Security Service (SSS).

He stated that the DSS arrested Nnaji on July 1. Mr Nnaji's lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, a SAN, said he would wait to object to the documents’ admissibility until the right time in the proceedings.

Judge Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the documents could be admitted as evidence. She stated that any objections to their admissibility would be discussed later during the trial.

During cross-examination by Olanipekun, Ibrahim admitted he did not visit UNN during the investigation. He also did not know how many campuses the university had or which faculty Mr Nnaji graduated from.

When asked if he spoke to any university staff about the case, he mentioned that he interviewed a registrar named Ngozi but could not recall her surname. He confirmed seeing a letter from UNN ordering the withdrawal of Mr Nnaji's admission.

However, Olanipekun pointed out another letter showing that the withdrawal letter dated November 7, 1984, was cancelled by a letter dated March 18, 1985.

With no further questions from the defence, the prosecution asked for an adjournment to call another witness. Ms Abdulmalik adjourned the case to November 5 for the continuation of the trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nnaji faces six counts of certificate forgery, money laundering, and abuse of office. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The ICPC claims Mr Nnaji presented forged UNN and NYSC certificates to support his ministerial appointment in 2023. The commission also alleged he received around N29.58 million in salaries and allowances as minister, which they linked to unlawful activities.

The court granted him bail of N20 million with one surety. He must deposit his passport and cannot travel outside the country without court permission during his trial.