THE immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after arriving from Enugu on a chartered flight.
Authoritative airport sources confirmed that Nnaji was taken into custody on Wednesday and is expected to be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for interrogation over allegations of certificate forgery.
The arrest followed ongoing investigations by the anti-corruption agency, which has been pursuing the former minister since his resignation from office last year.
According to sources, the ICPC had been investigating claims that Mr Nnaji forged academic credentials submitted during his appointment process as a minister.
In mid-June, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the ICPC permission to arrest Nnaji as part of its investigation into the alleged certificate forgery.
The court also authorised the commission to declare the former minister wanted through national newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels after he allegedly failed to honour repeated invitations for questioning.
Court documents indicated that the ICPC filed an ex parte application, stating that Nnaji repeatedly declined invitations extended to him for what it described as “investigative activities” concerning the allegations.
The investigation followed reports alleging that Mr Nnaji submitted forged certificates from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the National Youth Service Corps during his ministerial screening process in 2023.
The reports alleged that the documents were presented to President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the State Security Service as part of the appointment process.
The former minister later acknowledged that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka did not issue him a degree certificate, an admission that investigators said supported the findings of the allegations against him.
Before the court issued the arrest order, Nnaji had rejected reports of the legal action, describing the publication as a “media trial.”
On 18 June, the former minister filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, challenging the Federal High Court’s decision authorising his arrest.
The appeal was lodged after the lower court granted the ICPC leave to apprehend him and publicly declare him wanted pending the outcome of its investigation.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Nnaji nor his legal representatives had publicly commented on Wednesday’s arrest at the airport.
The ICPC has yet to issue an official statement on the arrest, but airport sources maintained that the former minister would be transferred to the commission for further interrogation in connection with the ongoing investigation.