A former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has been granted bail in the sum of N20 million by the Federal High Court in Abuja after pleading not guilty to a six-count charge bordering on alleged certificate forgery.
Nnaji, who served in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet from August 16, 2023, until his resignation on October 6, 2025, was arraigned on Monday by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The anti-graft agency accused the former minister of allegedly forging academic credentials, including a degree certificate purportedly obtained from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The ICPC also alleged that Nnaji presented a fake National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate during his ministerial screening in 2023.
The defendant, however, denied all the allegations when the charges were read before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Following a bail application by his counsel, Chief James Onoja (SAN), the court admitted Nnaji to bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like amount.
Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the surety must be a civil servant residing in Abuja and not below Grade Level 15. The court also directed the surety to depose to an affidavit of means.
As part of the bail conditions, the former minister was ordered to surrender his international passport and barred from travelling outside Nigeria without the court’s permission.
The judge subsequently fixed July 21 for the commencement of trial.
Nnaji was arrested by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on July 1 after returning to the Federal Capital Territory.
The ICPC had earlier confirmed that the arrest was carried out to facilitate investigations into allegations of certificate forgery and related offences against the former minister.
