.Seek refund of salaries
Wale Igbintade
A coalition of concerned lawyers and public interest analysts has urged the federal government to ensure the swift prosecution of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery, insisting that his resignation from office should not shield him from criminal liability.
The group also called for the recovery of all salaries, allowances and other benefits allegedly received by Nnaji while serving as minister, arguing that if the allegations are proven, he occupied the office under false pretense by presenting forged academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Lagos, the lawyers urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the case is not “swept under the carpet,” warning that any attempt to shield the former minister from prosecution would undermine the rule of law and erode public confidence in public institutions.
In a statement signed by Liborous Oshoma, the group commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for arresting the former minister but criticised what it described as the slow pace of the investigation.
According to the lawyers, the disparity between the speed with which ordinary Nigerians are prosecuted and the treatment accorded politically exposed persons poses a serious threat to justice.
“While we commend the efforts of the ICPC so far, we condemn the undue delay in bringing the former minister to justice. This once again exposes the unequal administration of justice, where the poor and unconnected are swiftly prosecuted, while the rich and influential enjoy delays, silence or inaction,” the statement said.
The group maintained that Nnaji’s resignation could not absolve him of the alleged offences, stressing that the allegations of multiple certificate forgeries deserve full criminal prosecution.
The lawyers recalled that an investigation published by Premium Times in October 2025 alleged that although Nnaji was admitted to study Microbiology/Biochemistry at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) during the 1981/82 academic session, he did not graduate after failing a compulsory course, Virology (MCB 431AB).
According to the statement, the investigation was backed by several correspondences exchanged between Nnaji and the university’s Registry Department between November 1985 and May 1986 regarding the failed course.
One of the documents, the lawyers noted, was a handwritten application dated May 19, 1986, in which Nnaji reportedly sought permission to retake the Virology course after missing an earlier examination on health grounds.
They argued that the correspondence contradicted the existence of a UNN degree certificate allegedly dated July 1985, which was later submitted during his nomination and confirmation as a minister.
The group further claimed that Nnaji had admitted in court filings that the university never issued him a degree certificate, raising questions about the authenticity of the certificate allegedly submitted to the federal government.
According to the lawyers, following the publication of the investigation, Nnaji petitioned the Minister of Education in October 2025, accusing senior officials of the university of manipulating his academic records and unlawfully disclosing confidential documents.
The petition led to the constitution of a seven-member Federal Government investigative panel headed by the Director of the University Education Department in the Federal Ministry of Education.
They also questioned the authenticity of the former minister’s NYSC discharge certificate.
According to them, the certificate indicated that Nnaji served in Jos, Plateau State, between April 16, 1985, and May 15, 1986, suggesting that he commenced the mandatory national service about three months before the July 1985 graduation date reflected on the university certificate he allegedly presented.
The lawyers further alleged that the certificate reflected 13 months of national service instead of the statutory 12 months.
They also pointed to what they described as another inconsistency, alleging that the discharge certificate bore the signature of Colonel Animashaun Braimoh, who did not become Director-General of the NYSC until January 1988.
The group questioned how Braimoh could have signed a certificate purportedly issued in May 1986, almost two years before assuming office.
The lawyers also recalled that the ICPC announced Nnaji’s arrest on July 1, 2026, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court.
According to the anti-corruption agency, the former minister had repeatedly failed to honour invitations issued in connection with investigations into allegations of forgery of a UNN degree certificate and a false NYSC discharge certificate allegedly submitted during his ministerial screening in 2023.
The ICPC said it obtained the warrant after Nnaji allegedly ignored several invitations sent to his known addresses and email.
Building on these developments, the lawyers urged the federal government to pursue the case to its logical conclusion.
Consequently, the group demanded that all salaries, allowances and emoluments paid to Nnaji from 2023 until his resignation in October 2025 be recovered by the federal government.
“This restitution is not only just, but also serves as a deterrent to others who may contemplate similar conduct,” the statement said.
The lawyers further called on the federal government to review all official decisions, approvals and actions taken by Nnaji during his tenure as minister to determine whether the public interest was compromised.
They maintained that allowing the matter to end with the former minister’s resignation would reinforce the perception that politically exposed persons receive preferential treatment under the law.
“The rule of law demands that no individual, regardless of status or political influence, should be above the law,” the group said.
