A witness for the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Monday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) disowned certificates linked to former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji.
The witness, identified as SP Yakubu Ibrahim, a police officer with the Commission, made the revelation while being led in evidence by Mr J.A. Mummi in the case involving alleged certificate forgery against Nnaji.
Ibrahim said his team was assigned to investigate the matter after the Commission received two separate petitions alleging certificate forgery against Nnaji.
He said the Chairman of the Special Task Force directed an investigation, prompting the Commission to request relevant documents from the National Assembly, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), UNN and the NYSC.
According to him, the Clerk of the Senate, National Assembly, forwarded Nnaji’s NYSC certificate and BSc certificates in Microbiology and Biochemistry to the Commission.
He said the NYSC responded that the certificate purportedly issued by the corps had not been issued by it, while UNN also stated that Nnaji had failed to obtain the required grades for the award of his certificate.
He said the university explained in its letter the policy governing the grades required for the award of a certificate, stating that anyone who failed four times was not qualified.
Ibrahim said Nnaji failed at two stages and did not sit the examination at the third stage for medical reasons.
According to the witness, the letter stated that the defendant went on to sit the supplementary examination for which he had not registered.
Ibrahim further testified that UNN confirmed that the BSc certificates in Microbiology and Biochemistry attributed to the defendant had not been issued by the university.
He said the Commission also obtained documents from the SGF’s office, including a payslip, which prompted it to request Nnaji’s bank statement.
According to him, the bank statement showed that Nnaji received N29.5 million in salary as a minister before he resigned.
The witness identified letters sent to the Clerk of the Senate, the SGF, UNN, the NYSC, the bank and Nnaji, which were tendered in evidence.
He also told the court that Nnaji failed to honour the Commission’s invitation to answer questions on the petitions, prompting the ICPC to contact the Department of State Services (DSS), which subsequently arrested Nnaji on July 1.
Counsel to Nnaji, Mr Wole Olanipekun, said he would reserve his objection to the admissibility of the documents until the appropriate stage of the proceedings, if necessary.
In a short ruling, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, admitted the documents in evidence but held that objections to their admissibility would be reserved until the final address.
During cross-examination, Ibrahim told the court that he did not visit UNN during his investigation and did not know how many campuses the university had or the faculty from which Nnaji graduated.
Asked whether he interviewed any past or present university staff, the witness said he interviewed a registrar named Ngozi but could not recall her surname.
Ibrahim also told the court that he saw a letter from UNN directing the withdrawal of Nnaji’s admission.
Olanipekun, however, drew his attention to another letter showing that the withdrawal letter dated November 7, 1984, had been rescinded by a subsequent letter dated March 18, 1985.
With no further questions from the defence, the prosecution requested an adjournment to enable it to call another witness. Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until November 5 for the continuation of the trial.
Nnaji was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on alleged certificate forgery, money laundering and abuse of office.
The ICPC, which filed the charges, alleged that Nnaji presented forged UNN degree and NYSC certificates to support his ministerial appointment in 2023.
The Commission also accused him of receiving about N29.58 million in salaries and allowances as a minister, allegedly linked to proceeds of unlawful acts.
Nnaji, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges, was granted bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety and ordered to deposit his international passport with the court.
WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TV