Court issues arrest warrant for ex-Minister Uche Nnaji over alleged certificate forgery

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) permission to arrest former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over allegations of certificate forgery.

The order was issued on Thursday following an ex parte application filed by the anti-corruption agency in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026.

Nnaji, who was appointed minister by Bola Tinubu in August 2023, resigned from office after allegations surfaced that he forged academic credentials and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) documents submitted during his ministerial screening and confirmation process.

According to court documents, the ICPC filed its ex parte motion on June 4, 2026, after it was dated June 3. The application was supported by an affidavit sworn to by one David Nelson.

During proceedings, counsel to the ICPC, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, informed the court that the commission had repeatedly invited the former minister for questioning regarding the certificate forgery allegations but that he allegedly failed to honour the invitations.

The lawyer argued that Nnaji’s refusal to appear before investigators had hindered the commission’s efforts to carry out its investigation and necessitated judicial intervention.

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Consequently, the ICPC sought an order authorising it to declare the former minister wanted through national newspapers, social media platforms, and any other appropriate communication channels.

The commission also requested a bench warrant empowering its operatives, other law enforcement agencies, and even private citizens to identify, arrest, and hand over Nnaji to the ICPC for investigation.

In addition, the anti-graft agency urged the court to grant any other orders it deemed necessary to ensure compliance with the investigation process.

After considering the application, the court granted all the reliefs sought by the commission.

The court further ruled that the warrant and related orders would remain in force until Nnaji is apprehended and presented to the ICPC.

The development comes at a politically significant time for the former minister, who recently emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The ICPC has not yet announced any formal criminal charges against Nnaji, but the arrest warrant marks a major escalation in the commission’s investigation into the allegations surrounding the credentials he submitted during his nomination and confirmation as a federal minister.