A court has ordered the arrest of the PDP Enugu governorship candidate on suspicion of certificate forgery

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for Uche Nnaji, the former minister of innovation, science and technology, who recently emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu State for the 2027 elections.

The court granted the arrest order following an ex parte motion filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) in a lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Nnaji as minister in August 2023, but he resigned following allegations that he falsified academic and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) credentials submitted during the ministerial screening and confirmation process.

The ICPC’s ex parte motion dated June 3 was filed on June 4, and attached was a written statement rescinding by David Nelson.

Osuobeni Akponimisingha, ICPC legal counsel, told the court that the ex parte motion followed Nnaji’s refusal to comply with the invitation extended to him by the commission of inquiry into alleged certificate forgery.

Akponimisingha prayed that the court issue an order allowing the commission to declare Nnaji wanted in national newspapers, social media platforms or other media for “failing to comply with the commission’s invitation for investigative activities”.

The commission also asked the court to grant an order to issue an arrest warrant, directing commission officers or other law enforcement officers, including private citizens, to identify and arrest Nnaji and hand him over to the ICPC for investigation.

He also appealed to the court to grant whatever order he deemed appropriate under the circumstances.

The court granted all the requested orders, and further ruled that the orders would only take effect after the former minister was arrested.