Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted permission to the former minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Consequently, the judge on Monday ordered that the international passport of former minister be released to him to enable him undertake the trip.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, on July 13, arraigned Nnaji on a six-count charge bordering on alleged certificate forgery, false information and corruption.
Nnaji, 63, pleaded not guilty to the charge after he was arraigned before the court.
According to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/391/2026, the ICPC alleged that between August 2023 and October 2025, while serving as minister, Nnaji received N29,578,466.67 as salary and allowances, which the commission described as “proceeds of unlawful acts, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022″.In the second count, the anti-graft agency accused the former minister of using his office to confer a corrupt advantage on himself by receiving the same sum as salary and allowances, contrary to the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The remaining four counts relate to alleged certificate forgery and the making and use of false documents.
Specifically, the ICPC alleged that Nnaji knowingly presented a forged National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, certificate, numbered A231309, to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation during the documentation process for his ministerial appointment.
The commission further alleged that he submitted a purported University of Nigeria, Nsukka, degree certificate in Microbiology/Biochemistry, bearing certificate No. 004501, knowing it to be false.
The prosecution also accused him of making and using both the NYSC certificate and the UNN degree certificate as genuine despite allegedly knowing they were forged, contrary to ections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code.
When the case came up Monday, a motion, filed from the chambers of Ogwu Onoja, SAN, was moved, seeking the release of Nnaji’s passport to enable him travel abroad for medical treatment.
After the motion was moved, Justice Abdulmalik, in a short ruling, ordered the release of the passport to the defendant and fixed October 26 for continuation of trial.
