Former Innovation Minister Uche Nnaji has been arraigned in federal court, pleading not guilty to severe corruption, money laundering, and certificate forgery charges.
A former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was formally arraigned in the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to a severe six-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering, corruption, forgery, and the deliberate use of false documents.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) brought the charges before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. Following Nnaji’s plea, prosecuting counsel Mr. Osuobeni Akponimisingha announced that the government was fully prepared for trial, with three witnesses present in court and ready to testify immediately. However, defense counsel Mr. Ogwu Onoja, SAN, requested an adjournment, stating he required adequate time to study the details of the charge and prepare his client’s defense strategy.
While the prosecution did not oppose the defense’s application for bail, leaving it entirely to judicial discretion, Justice Abdulmalik admitted the former minister to bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in a like sum.
The court imposed strict regulatory conditions on the surety, requiring them to be a Federal Civil Servant within the court’s judicial division holding a rank not below Grade Level 15, provide verified evidence of salary receipts spanning at least three consecutive months, and deposit their official letter of offer of pensionable employment alongside a formal clearance letter from their immediate Head of Department.
Additionally, the surety must prove residency within the court’s jurisdiction for a minimum of four continuous years via a verified tenancy agreement. Nnaji was ordered to surrender both his valid official Nigerian passport and his international passport to the court registry, and the matter was subsequently adjourned until September 21, 2026, for the commencement of the trial.
The criminal charges against the former cabinet member outline a deep pattern of systemic fraud and misrepresentation during his ministerial appointment process.
In the first count, the commission alleged that Nnaji unlawfully took possession of N29.58 million paid into his Fidelity Bank account as salaries and allowances while serving as minister, funds he reasonably ought to have known were the proceeds of corruption and fraud, which violates the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act of 2022. The second count alleges that he used his office as minister to confer a corrupt personal advantage on himself, directly violating the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act of 2000.
Furthermore, the prosecution claims that Nnaji knowingly presented a false National Youth Service Corps Certificate, designated as number A231309, during his ministerial screening to intentionally mislead the Federal Government.
He is similarly accused of presenting a fraudulent Microbiology and Biochemistry degree certificate, numbered 004501, which was purportedly issued by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The final counts in the charge allege that Nnaji knowingly produced and uttered these false credentials as genuine documents between 1985 and 1986, an offense heavily punishable under the provisions of the Penal Code.
The high-profile legal battle drew immediate public reaction as no fewer than 300 members of the non-governmental organization, Global Gender Safety and Moral Development, converged on the court premises to support the prosecution and demand strict accountability.
The group’s convener, Mr. Shuaibu Abdulkadir, emphasized that public office demands absolute transparency, honesty, and respect for the rule of law. He publicly called upon the Attorney-General of the Federation and the leadership of the anti-graft agency to continue discharging their constitutional responsibilities without fear or favor, declaring that no individual stands above justice.
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