A former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Wednesday as he arrived from Enugu on a chartered flight.
Nnaji is to be handed to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for interrogation.
The arrest follows an ongoing investigation by the ICPC into allegations that the ex-minister forged his academic certificates.
In mid-June, the anti-corruption agency was given leave by a Federal High Court in Abuja to arrest Nnaji as part of its investigation into the alleged certificate forgery. The court also empowered the commission to declare him wanted through national newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels. Documents
Court filings show that the ICPC sought the ex parte order after Nnaji allegedly failed to honour several invitations extended to him to appear for questioning in connection to the investigation.
The commission had told the court that repeated attempts to get him to appear for “investigative activities” did not bear fruit and so it had sought judicial approval to arrest him and declare him a wanted person.
Nnaji was arrested on Wednesday on arrival at the Abuja airport and is expected to be transferred to the ICPC for further investigation.
As of the filing of this report, the ICPC had yet to make an official statement regarding the arrest. Nnaji and his representatives did not immediately respond to the allegations.
