In Nigeria, you can lose a ministerial portfolio for all sorts of reasons. Uche Nnaji, former minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, is said to have found a novel one: a degree that prosecutors suspect was fabricated. Arrested in early July, he is now being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
An arrest at the airport
According to Premium Times, Uche Nnaji was reportedly detained on 1 July 2026 at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, following a production warrant issued by the Federal High Court. The ICPC then reportedly launched proceedings.
Per Channels TV, the former minister pleaded not guilty, on 13 July, to six counts before the Federal High Court in Abuja. He was granted bail of 20 million naira, with an obligation to surrender his passport, and the trial was reportedly adjourned to 21 September 2026.
What the ICPC alleges
The charges would concern the alleged forgery of academic credentials: a degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a National Youth Service (NYSC) certificate, documents said to have been presented at his ministerial confirmation hearing in 2023. The former minister would also be suspected of collecting some 29.5 million naira in salary and benefits under false pretences, as well as money laundering.
He ran the innovation portfolio. What prosecutors mainly accuse him of, it seems, is innovating on his own diplomas.
A symbolic case
Beyond the individual case, the affair touches a sensitive point in Nigerian public life: the vetting of appointees' credentials. If the suspicions were confirmed, the idea that a minister could have reached office on the strength of forged documents would carry considerable political weight.
Magouilles & Compagnie verdict
Uche Nnaji has pleaded not guilty and retains, until the 21 September trial, the full presumption of innocence. It will fall to the ICPC to prove the alleged forgery. In the meantime, the case is a reminder of an uncomfortable truth: a fake degree sometimes ends up costing more than a real one.
⚖ Your verdict Live
In your view, is this a case of magouille — or calomnie?
📚 Sources
- Channels TV — Former Minister Nnaji pleads not guilty to certificate forgery charges
- Daily Post — Ex-minister Uche Nnaji arrives court as ICPC begins certificate forgery trial
- Premium Times — Ex-minister Uche Nnaji to be arraigned over certificate forgery
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