A search for former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Uche Nnaji has reportedly been initiated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) in connection with an alleged certificate fabrication case.
The anti-graft agency has been looking into claims that Nnaji falsified both his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and University of Nigeria, Nsukka degree certificates.
The Senate and President Bola Tinubu are said to have received the credentials when he was confirmed as a minister in 2023.
Prior to the ICPC inquiry, Premium Times published a two-year investigation in October of last year.
The former minister was accused in the report of falsifying his NYSC and UNN degrees.
According to commission sources who talked with Premium Times earlier, Nnaji might face legal action if the investigation revealed that the credentials were falsified.
Nnaji is searched by ICPC
According to trustworthy people with knowledge of the situation, the ICPC began looking for Nnaji after he allegedly neglected to accept invitations from the organization.
The UNN’s management has responded to ICPC’s questions on the current investigation, according to an insider who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to discuss the subject.
The former minister has been asked to be questioned on multiple occasions, the person continued.
The source claims that Nnaji was invited by the commission via phone calls, emails, and WhatsApp to participate in planned interrogations, but he did not.
The insider stated, “The ICPC is searching everywhere for him in order to possibly arrest him. If we are unable to locate him, we will probably declare him wanted.”
According to a different source, Nnaji’s decision to decline the invitations was part of a plan to stay unavailable in order to run for Enugu State governor in 2027.
According to the source, the former minister wanted to win the election in order to gain protection from criminal prosecution.
According to reports, Nnaji discreetly switched from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after running unsuccessfully on the APC platform for the Enugu governorship in 2023.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, Nnaji is said to have emerged as the governorship candidate of a PDP group supported by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike in late May.
Additionally, it was rumored that he was considering running for governor in order to benefit from protection from prosecution.
Whether the former minister would be declared sought has not yet been made public by the ICPC.
