Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Uche Nnaji has pleaded not guilty to allegations of forging his university degree certificate and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
Nnaji was arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja after being charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The former minister is facing six counts bordering on alleged forgery of certificates linked to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the NYSC, documents he submitted during his ministerial screening in 2023.
The charges also included allegations that he received about N29.5 million in salaries and other official benefits through false claims, as well as accusations relating to money laundering.
After Nnaji entered his not guilty plea, ICPC prosecutor told the court that the prosecution was prepared to begin trial, adding that three witnesses were already available.
However, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, counsel to Nnaji, asked the court for more time to prepare his defence and informed Justice Abdulmalik that a bail application had been filed on July 9.
The prosecutor did not oppose the bail request. Justice Abdulmalik subsequently granted Nnaji bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety who must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15 and resident in Abuja.
The court also ordered Nnaji to surrender his official and personal international passports as part of the bail conditions.
The case followed months of investigations into the authenticity of the certificates, with reports that both UNN and the NYSC had questioned the validity of the documents in dispute.
Nnaji was arrested on June 30, 2026, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after arriving from Enugu.
The arrest followed a Federal High Court order issued on June 11, 2026, after he allegedly failed to honour invitations for investigative interviews.
The former minister resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet on October 7, 2025, describing the decision as a commitment to due process while denying any wrongdoing.
He had also claimed that some aspects of the allegations against him were politically motivated.
Nnaji, who is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Enugu State, will return to court on September 21, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
