According to reports, Uche Nnaji, a former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, is being sought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) in connection with an alleged certificate fabrication scam.
The anti-graft agency has been looking into claims that Nnaji falsified his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and University of Nigeria, Nsukka degree certificates.
According to reports, the credentials were given to the Senate and President Bola Tinubu when he was confirmed as a minister in 2023.
Premium Times published a two-year study in October of last year, which was followed by the ICPC inquiry.
According to the investigation, the former minister falsified his NYSC documents and UNN degree.
According to commission sources who talked with Premium Times earlier, Nnaji might face legal action if the probe revealed that the credentials were faked.
ICPC Looks for Nnaji
According to trustworthy people with knowledge of the situation, the ICPC began looking for Nnaji after he allegedly neglected to accept invitations from the organization.
ICPC’s inquiries on the current investigation were addressed by UNN management, according to an insider who begged not to be named because he was not authorized to speak on the subject.
The former minister has been asked to be questioned on several occasions, the person continued.
The source claims that Nnaji was invited to scheduled interrogations by the commission via phone calls, emails, and WhatsApp, but he did not show up.
“The ICPC is searching everywhere for him in order to potentially arrest him, and if we are unable to locate him, we will probably declare him wanted,” the source stated.
According to a different source, Nnaji’s unwillingness to accept the invites was a tactic to be unavailable while attempting to run for Enugu State’s governorship in 2027.
According to the source, if the former minister won the election, he would gain immunity from criminal prosecution.
After failing to win the 2023 Enugu governorship election on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, Nnaji reportedly quietly switched to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ahead of the 2027 general election, Nnaji reportedly became the governorship candidate of a PDP faction supported by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike in late May.
Additionally, it was alleged that he was considering running for governor in part to benefit from protection from prosecution.
Whether it would declare the former minister sought has not yet been made public by the ICPC.
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