Ex-Minister Nnaji ‘arrested’ at Enugu Airport over Alleged Certificate Forgery

The immediate past Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has reportedly been arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.

According to PREMIUM TIMES, the former minister was taken into custody on Wednesday morning, July 1, 2026, while preparing to board a chartered flight to Abuja.

Sources at the airport said Nnaji is expected to be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for questioning over allegations of certificate forgery.

The reported arrest comes weeks after the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the ICPC permission to arrest and investigate the former minister. The court also authorised the anti-graft agency to declare him wanted through newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels after the commission alleged that he repeatedly failed to honour its invitations.

It was reported that the ICPC told the court that its application followed Nnaji’s alleged refusal to appear before investigators despite several invitations regarding the forgery allegations.

The allegations stem from a two-year investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES in October 2025, which claimed that Nnaji submitted forged degree and National Youth Service Corps certificates during his ministerial screening and confirmation process in 2023.

The publication alleged that the documents were presented to President Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Department of State Services.

According to the report, Nnaji later acknowledged that the University of Nigeria did not issue the degree certificate in question, a development that PREMIUM TIMES said supported its investigation’s findings.

The former minister had previously denied the existence of the court order authorising his arrest, describing the publication as a ‘media trial’.

On 18 June, Nnaji reportedly approached the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the arrest order issued by the Federal High Court.

As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not issued an official statement confirming the reported arrest, while Nnaji’s legal team had yet to publicly respond to the latest development.