Breaking: ICPC Arraigns Former Minister Uche Nnaji on Forgery, 5 Other Charges, Gets N20m Bail

"Justice Abdulmalik granted Nnaji bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum"

Per Second NewsJuly 13, 20261 Mins read453

By Samuel Akpan

Former Minister of Science and Technology Uche Nnaji has entered a ‘not-guilty’ guilty plea after being arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.

He faces a six-count charge involving certificate forgery and the misappropriation of public funds.

During the proceedings, which were presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, defence counsel Ogwu Onoja informed the court that a bail application had already been filed for Nnaji.

While the prosecution raised no objections to the bail request, they noted they were prepared to begin the trial and had three witnesses lined up.

Justice Abdulmalik granted Nnaji bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum.

The surety must be a federal civil servant not below grade level 15 with a fixed residential address for at least four years and must submit evidence of employment along with salary slips for the last three months.

The case was adjourned until September 21, 2026, to commence trial.

Persecondnews recalls that Nnaji was arrested on July 1 by operatives of the Department of State Services at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja before being handed over to the ICPC.

ICPC spokesperson Okor Odey provided context on the events leading to the arraignment.

“The commission sent invitation letters to Nnaji through multiple channels, including his residential addresses in Abuja and Enugu. Despite being served through multiple channels, Nnaji failed to honour the invitations,” he said.

Odey added that the Federal High Court in Abuja had issued a bench warrant against Nnaji to enable the commission to investigate the allegations of certificate forgery.

The charges stem from the allegations that led to Nnaji’s resignation as minister in October 2025.

Prior to stepping down, he faced intense scrutiny over claims that he forged the credentials submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his confirmation hearings.