A Federal High Court in Abuja has authorised the arrest of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, following an application by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged certificate forgery.
The order was granted after the anti-graft agency approached the court through an ex parte motion, accusing the former minister of failing to respond to repeated invitations issued in connection with an ongoing investigation.
According to the ICPC, Nnaji is being investigated over allegations that he submitted forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates during the process that led to his screening and confirmation as a minister.
Counsel to the commission, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, informed the court that efforts to secure Nnaji’s appearance for questioning had been unsuccessful, prompting the agency to seek legal backing for his arrest.
The commission also requested permission to publicly declare the former minister wanted through newspapers, social media platforms and other channels to aid efforts to locate him.
In its ruling, the court granted all the requests made by the ICPC, including a bench warrant empowering law enforcement officers and other authorised agents to arrest Nnaji and hand him over to the commission for investigation.
The court further held that the warrant would remain valid until the former minister is apprehended.
Nnaji, who joined President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet in August 2023, left office amid growing controversy over allegations surrounding the authenticity of the credentials he presented during his nomination and confirmation process.