The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps have denied issuing certificates attributed to former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, an investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
SP Yakubu Ibrahim, an ICPC investigator, disclosed this while testifying in the ongoing trial of Nnaji over alleged certificate forgery before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Led in evidence by the commission’s counsel, J.A. Mumini, SAN, Ibrahim said the investigation began after the ICPC received two separate petitions accusing the former minister of certificate forgery.
He explained that the chairman of the commission’s Special Task Force subsequently ordered an investigation, leading to requests for relevant records from the National Assembly, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, UNN and the NYSC.
According to the investigator, the Clerk of the Senate submitted copies of Nnaji’s NYSC certificate and his purported Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry to the commission.
Ibrahim told the court that the NYSC responded that it did not issue the certificate attributed to it. He added that UNN also informed the commission that Nnaji had not met the academic requirements for the award of the degree.
The university, he said, explained that its regulations barred students who failed an examination four times from qualifying for a certificate.
The witness further stated that Nnaji failed at two stages of the examination process and missed the third stage for medical reasons. However, according to the university’s letter, he later sat for a supplementary examination without registering for it.
Ibrahim said UNN subsequently confirmed that the BSc certificate in Microbiology and Biochemistry bearing Nnaji’s name was not issued by the institution.
The investigator also disclosed that the ICPC obtained records from the SGF’s office, including a payslip, which led investigators to request the former minister’s bank statement.
He told the court that the statement indicated that Nnaji received N29.5m in salaries while serving as a minister before his resignation.
Ibrahim identified correspondence sent to the Clerk of the Senate, the SGF, UNN, the NYSC, the bank and Nnaji. The prosecution tendered the documents as evidence.
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He further testified that Nnaji failed to respond to the commission’s invitation to address the allegations contained in the petitions. The ICPC subsequently contacted the Department of State Services, which arrested the former minister on July 1.
Defence counsel Wole Olanipekun, SAN, told the court that he would reserve any objection to the admissibility of the documents until the appropriate stage of the proceedings, if necessary.
Justice Abdulmalik admitted the documents but ruled that any objections to their admissibility would be considered during the final address.
During cross-examination, Ibrahim acknowledged that he did not visit UNN while investigating the allegations. He also admitted that he did not know the number of campuses operated by the university or the faculty from which Nnaji graduated.
Asked if he had interviewed any former or serving university officials, the witness said he spoke with a registrar identified as Ngozi but could not remember her surname.
Ibrahim also said he had seen a letter from UNN directing the withdrawal of Nnaji’s admission.
Olanipekun, however, confronted him with another letter showing that the withdrawal letter dated November 7, 1984, had been rescinded in a subsequent letter dated March 18, 1985.
After cross-examination ended, the prosecution requested an adjournment to enable it to present another witness.
The judge adjourned the case until November 5 for the continuation of the trial.
Nnaji is facing a six-count charge bordering on alleged certificate forgery, money laundering and abuse of office. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The ICPC accused him of submitting forged UNN degree and NYSC certificates to support his appointment as a minister in 2023.
The commission also alleged that he received approximately N29.58m in salaries and allowances while in office, which it linked to proceeds of unlawful acts.
The former minister was granted bail in the sum of N20m, with one surety, and ordered to surrender his international passport to the court.