The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the release of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Uche Nnaji's passport, enabling him to travel abroad for medical treatment. This decision was made by Judge Joyce Abdulmalik during a hearing on Monday. The court's ruling came after Mr. Nnaji's lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, filed an application requesting the release of the passport for medical purposes.
The case against Mr. Nnaji involves allegations of certificate forgery, false information, abuse of office, and money laundering. He is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on six counts. Mr. Nnaji, 63, pleaded not guilty to all charges when he was arraigned on July 13. The ICPC alleges that he received N29.58 million in salary and allowances between August 2023 and October 2025 while serving as minister, which it describes as proceeds of unlawful acts.
The ICPC also accused Mr. Nnaji of using his office to confer a corrupt advantage on himself by receiving the payments. Additionally, four other counts concern allegations that Mr. Nnaji forged and used a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate and a purported University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree certificate. The ICPC alleges that Mr. Nnaji presented an NYSC certificate numbered A231309 and a purported UNN certificate in Microbiology/Biochemistry, numbered 004501, during the documentation process for his ministerial appointment.
Mr. Nnaji has denied wrongdoing. After his arraignment in July, the court granted him bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety. The judge ordered that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15 and must provide evidence of employment and salary payments. As part of the bail conditions, the court also directed Mr. Nnaji to deposit his international passport and other travel documents with the court.
The case against Mr. Nnaji followed a two-year investigation by Premium Times into his academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) records. The investigation found inconsistencies in the purported NYSC discharge certificate and degree certificate presented by Mr. Nnaji. Further checks with the NYSC and the UNN raised questions about the authenticity of the documents. The investigation found that although Mr. Nnaji was admitted to UNN in 1981, he did not complete his studies and was not on the university's 1985 graduation list.
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) subsequently told Premium Times that Mr. Nnaji did not complete his studies and that the university did not issue him the degree certificate he presented. NYSC authorities also said they could not authenticate the certificate of national service in his possession. Three days after the investigation was published, Mr. Nnaji resigned as minister while President Bola Tinubu accepted his resignation.
The court has adjourned the case until October 26 for the continuation of the trial. With the release of his passport, Mr. Nnaji can now proceed with his medical trip abroad. The case continues to unfold, with the ICPC pursuing the allegations against him.
Key points
- The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted Uche Nnaji permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.
- Uche Nnaji faces six counts of certificate forgery, false information, abuse of office, and money laundering.
- The case against Nnaji was initiated following a two-year investigation by Premium Times into his academic and NYSC records.
