A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has authorised the arrest of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, who recently secured the governorship ticket of the in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 election.
The order was granted following an ex parte application filed by the (ICPC) in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026 before the Federal High Court.
Nnaji was appointed minister by in August 2023 but later stepped down from the position amid allegations that he submitted forged academic certificates and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) documents during the screening and confirmation process that preceded his appointment.
Court documents showed that the ICPC’s ex parte motion was dated June 3 and filed on June 4. Attached to the application was an affidavit sworn to by one David Nelson in support of the commission’s request.
Counsel to the ICPC, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, informed the court that the application became necessary after Nnaji allegedly failed to honour several invitations issued by the commission in connection with investigations into the certificate forgery allegations.
Akponimisingha urged the court to permit the commission to declare Nnaji wanted through national newspapers, social media platforms and any other appropriate channels for “failing to honour the commission’s invitations for investigation activities”.
The anti-corruption agency also sought a court order authorising the issuance of a bench warrant for Nnaji’s arrest. It requested that ICPC operatives, other law enforcement officers, or private citizens who identify him be empowered to apprehend him and hand him over to the commission for further investigation.
In addition, the commission asked the court to make any further orders it considered necessary under the circumstances of the case.
After considering the application, the court granted all the reliefs sought by the ICPC. The judge further ruled that the orders would remain in force until the former minister is arrested.
