- Court approved Uche Nnaji’s arrest
- ICPC is probing certificate forgery claims
- Former minister allegedly ignored invitations
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).
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the ruling was delivered on Thursday after the anti-corruption agency approached the court seeking legal backing to compel Nnaji’s appearance in an investigation involving allegations of certificate forgery.
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The allegations emerged from an investigative report published last year, which claimed that Nnaji presented questionable academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials. The documents were allegedly used during his nomination and confirmation process as a minister in 2023.
According to court filings, the ICPC said repeated invitations sent to the former minister for questioning were ignored, prompting the commission to seek judicial intervention.
The agency asked the court to permit it to publicly declare Nnaji wanted and to issue a warrant authorising law enforcement authorities to locate and arrest him for investigative purposes.
After reviewing the application, the court granted the requests, empowering the ICPC to circulate a wanted notice through various platforms and directing security agencies to take him into custody wherever he is found.
The warrant will remain valid until the former minister is apprehended and brought before investigators.
Court documents indicate that Nnaji is being investigated over allegations including document falsification, abuse of office and actions said to have conferred improper benefits while he served in government.
The ICPC is expected to proceed with formal charges once he is arrested. The latest court order follows reports that the commission had already intensified efforts to trace the former minister in connection with the allegations.
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