Court Grants ICPC 14-Day Detention Order for Ex-Minister Uche Nnaji After Airport Arrest

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured a court order permitting it to detain former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, for an initial period of 14 days as investigations into allegations of certificate forgery continue.

The remand order came shortly after Nnaji was arrested on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his arrival from Enugu aboard a chartered flight.

He was apprehended with the assistance of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) ) before being handed over to the ICPC for further investigation.

Confirming the development, the ICPC, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, John Odey, said the former minister had been taken into custody in line with a court order after allegedly failing to honour several invitations extended by investigators.

According to the commission, the remand order authorises investigators to hold Nnaji for 14 days in the first instance while inquiries continue, with the possibility of seeking an extension if required under the law.

The commission said it remains committed to conducting the investigation in accordance with due process.

The investigation centres on allegations that Nnaji submitted forged University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificates during his ministerial screening in 2023.

The former minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

He also challenged an earlier Federal High Court order authorising his arrest by filing an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

Background to the Investigation

The allegations emerged following investigations into Nnaji's academic credentials.

According to documents that became public during the controversy, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka reportedly stated that although Nnaji was admitted to the institution in 1981, he did not graduate and was not issued the degree certificate attributed to him.

The National Youth Service Corps also reportedly questioned the authenticity of the discharge certificate linked to the former minister.

Before those records were released, Nnaji had approached the Federal High Court seeking to restrain the university from disclosing his academic records and later sought an out-of-court settlement.

The controversy eventually culminated in his resignation as minister in 2025.

Beyond the criminal investigation, the case has also attracted political attention following reports that Nnaji recently left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he emerged as the governorship candidate of a faction aligned with former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2027 elections.

With the latest court order, the ICPC now has legal authority to keep the former minister in custody while investigators continue examining the allegations against him. Should investigators require additional time, the commission may seek a further extension from the court in accordance with the law.