Former Minister of Science and Technology Uche Nnaji was arrested Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon arriving from Enugu on a chartered flight, according to airport sources.
The sources said Nnaji was taken into custody and is expected to be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for questioning over allegations that he forged academic credentials.
The arrest follows a Federal High Court order issued in mid-June directing the ICPC to arrest the former minister as part of an investigation into the alleged certificate forgery.
The court also granted the anti-graft agency permission to declare him wanted through national newspapers, social media and other media platforms.
According to court filings, the ICPC sought the arrest order after Nnaji allegedly failed to honour several invitations for questioning.
The investigation stems from allegations that Nnaji submitted forged academic documents during his ministerial nomination and confirmation process in 2023.
The documents were reportedly presented to President Bola Tinubu, the Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Department of State Services.
The allegations gained prominence after an investigative report by PREMIUM TIMES claimed the former minister forged a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate.
Nnaji later acknowledged that the University of Nigeria did not issue him a degree certificate, an admission that became central to the investigation.
Before his arrest, Nnaji had dismissed reports of the court order as a "media trial." However, on June 18, he filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn the arrest order.
The ICPC has not yet issued an official statement on the arrest, while Nnaji's appeal remains pending before the appellate court.
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