Former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was arrested on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja shortly after arriving from Enugu aboard a chartered flight.
Reliable airport sources confirmed the development, revealing that the former minister is expected to be transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for further questioning.
The arrest is connected to an ongoing ICPC investigation into allegations that Nnaji forged his academic certificates.
The anti-corruption agency had earlier secured a court order authorising his arrest after he allegedly failed to respond to several invitations issued to him in relation to the investigation.
In June, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja granted the ICPC permission to arrest the former minister as part of its probe into the alleged certificate forgery.
The court also approved the commission’s request to declare Nnaji wanted through newspapers, social media platforms and other media outlets across the country.
According to documents filed before the court, the ICPC sought the ex parte order after the former minister allegedly ignored multiple invitations to appear before investigators for questioning.
The commission informed the court that repeated attempts to secure his presence for what it described as “investigative activities” were unsuccessful, leaving it with no option but to seek judicial approval for his arrest and public declaration as a wanted individual.
Following Wednesday’s arrest at the Abuja airport, Nnaji is expected to be handed over to the ICPC to continue investigations into the allegations against him.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not released an official statement confirming the arrest or providing further details about the investigation.
Similarly, the former minister and his representatives had not issued any public response regarding the allegations or his arrest.
