A witness in the alleged certificate forgery trial of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) denied issuing certificates attributed to him.
The witness, SP Yakubu Ibrahim, an investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, gave the testimony on Monday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Ibrahim said the ICPC launched an investigation after receiving two petitions alleging certificate forgery against the former minister.
He told the court that the commission requested relevant documents from the Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, UNN and the NYSC.
According to the witness, the NYSC responded that it did not issue the certificate attributed to Nnaji, while UNN said he did not obtain the required grades for the award of his degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry.
Ibrahim said the university explained that its grading policy disqualified students who failed an examination four times from receiving a certificate.
He told the court that Nnaji failed at two stages and did not sit an examination at the third stage for medical reasons. The witness added that the university’s letter stated that Nnaji later took a supplementary examination for which he had not registered.
He said UNN also confirmed that the degree certificate attributed to the former minister was not issued by the institution.
The investigator further told the court that documents obtained from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, including a payslip, prompted the commission to request Nnaji’s bank statement.
According to him, the statement showed that Nnaji received about N29.5m in salaries as a minister before resigning.
Ibrahim said Nnaji failed to honour the commission’s invitation to respond to the allegations, prompting the ICPC to contact the Department of State Services. He said the DSS subsequently arrested the former minister on July 1.
During cross-examination, counsel for Nnaji, Wole Olanipekun, challenged aspects of the investigation, including the witness’s knowledge of the university’s operations.
Ibrahim admitted that he did not visit UNN during the investigation and could not recall the surname of a registrar he interviewed.
The witness also said he had seen a letter from the university directing the withdrawal of Nnaji’s admission. Olanipekun, however, drew his attention to another letter indicating that the withdrawal letter dated November 7, 1984, had been rescinded on March 18, 1985.
The defence counsel said he would reserve any objection to the admissibility of the prosecution’s documents until the appropriate stage of the proceedings.
Justice Abdulmalik admitted the documents but ruled that objections to their admissibility would be considered at the final address.
The court adjourned the case until November 5 for continuation of the trial after the prosecution requested time to call another witness.
Nnaji is facing a six-count charge bordering on alleged certificate forgery, money laundering and abuse of office. He has pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
The ICPC alleges that he presented forged UNN degree and NYSC certificates in support of his appointment as minister in 2023. The commission also accuses him of receiving about N29.58m in salaries and allowances allegedly linked to unlawful acts.
Nnaji was granted bail in the sum of N20m, with one surety, and ordered to deposit his international passport with the court.
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