Ex-minister Uche Nnaji pleads not guilty to certificate forgery charges, gets N20m bail
Former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge of alleged certificate forgery and misappropriation of funds filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Nnaji was arraigned on Monday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Following his plea, his lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed on his behalf. Although the prosecution indicated its readiness to commence trial with three witnesses, it did not oppose the bail request.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently granted the former minister bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like amount.
The court ruled that the surety must be a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15, with a fixed residence of at least four years. The surety is also required to provide proof of employment and salary slips covering the last three months.
The case was adjourned until September 21, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Nnaji’s arraignment follows his arrest on July 1 by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. He was later handed over to the ICPC.
According to the anti-graft agency, several invitation letters had earlier been sent to the former minister through different channels, including his residences in Abuja and Enugu, but he allegedly failed to honour them.
ICPC spokesperson Okor Odey said the Federal High Court had earlier issued a bench warrant for Nnaji’s arrest to facilitate investigations into allegations that he forged academic credentials.
The allegations first surfaced in 2025, leading to Nnaji’s resignation as minister in October of that year. Before stepping down, he faced scrutiny over claims that the credentials he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial confirmation process were forged.
