Ex-minister Uche Nnaji pleads not guilty to certificate forgery
Former Minister Uche Nnaji has been arraigned on six charges of certificate forgery and misappropriation of funds, pleading not guilty to all counts.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Monday arraigned former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, for certificate forgery and misappropriation of funds. The anti-graft agency arraigned the 63-year-old on six charges before Judge Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Counts three, four, five and six specifically relate to the alleged certificate forgery, while the first two counts relate to the alleged misappropriation of funds while in office. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Nnaji arrived at the court on Monday morning ahead of the proceedings, dressed in a white outfit and a red cap. He raised his right hand to acknowledge supporters and other attendees as he walked in.
The ICPC concluded its investigation into the allegations against Nnaji and filed criminal charges against him following months of investigation into allegations that the former minister forged academic credentials and made false declarations. The case stems from a petition challenging the authenticity of certificates Nnaji allegedly submitted during his nomination and screening for ministerial appointment.
In June, the ICPC obtained a 14-day remand order to detain Nnaji after informing the court that he repeatedly failed to honour invitations for questioning despite several notices. He also appealed the court order authorising his arrest, arguing that the decision should be set aside. The anti-corruption agency subsequently filed criminal charges against him after concluding its investigation.
A Premium Times investigation published last October exposed Nnaji’s forgery of the certificates he used to secure his ministerial appointment in 2023. Nnaji has denied any wrongdoing.
This is not the first time a Nigerian politician has faced charges of certificate forgery. The 2015 case involving Christian Abah, a House of Representatives-elect for the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, who was convicted of forging his degree, set a precedent. The difference is that Nnaji was a sitting minister when the forgery was exposed. The question is whether the judicial process will deliver justice or become another case that drags on for years.
The winners: the ICPC, which has secured an arraignment, and the Nigerian public, which may finally see accountability. The losers: Nnaji, whose political career is effectively over, and the Nigerian government, which had a serial certificate forger in its cabinet for nearly two years.
Bottom Line: A former minister is in court for forging his degree. He has pleaded not guilty. The question is not whether he did it. The question is how he got into the cabinet in the first place.