ABUJA: Fresh revelations have surfaced in the ongoing forgery scandal involving the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, as the minister has admitted under oath that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) never issued him a degree certificate.
Court documents obtained from the Federal High Court, Abuja, show that Mr. Nnaji made the admission in a verifying affidavit filed before Justice Hauwa Yilwa, where he personally confirmed that he had never collected any certificate from the institution since allegedly completing his studies in 1985.
The minister filed the suit against the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), the University of Nigeria, its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simon Ortuanya, the Registrar, a former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oguejiofor Ujam, and the University Senate.
According to his affidavit, Mr. Nnaji stated that he was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry and claimed to have completed the programme four years later. However, in paragraph 13 of the same affidavit, he admitted that he never obtained any degree certificate from the university.
He said: That even though I am yet to collect my certificate from the 3rd Defendant (UNN), due largely to the non-cooperative attitude of the 3rd–5th Defendants (UNN, its Vice Chancellor, and Registrar), the 3rd Defendant issued a letter dated 21st December 2023 to People’s Gazette (attention: Samuel Ogundipe), which stated among other things as follows: This is to confirm that Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with registration number 1981/30725, was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology/Biochemistry, Second Class (Hons.) Lower Division.
That letter, signed by UNN Registrar Celine Nnebedum, and sent to People’s Gazette, has since been disowned and invalidated by the university.
In a separate correspondence dated May 2025, Mrs. Nnebedum informed the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) that an official search of the university’s 1985 graduation records did not include Nnaji’s name.
Similarly, UNN Vice-Chancellor Professor Ortuanya, in a letter dated October 3, 2025, confirmed that Mr. Nnaji did not complete his studies and was never awarded a degree by the university.
A senior university official, who spoke anonymously, said: The truth of the matter is that he never graduated from here. His file is intact and contains details up to the point where he dropped out.
Either someone in the records office was influenced to cover up for him, or it was a sincere administrative error.
By admitting that UNN never issued him a certificate, Mr. Nnaji appears to have validated earlier findings that both his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificates which he submitted for his ministerial screening were forged.
Earlier reports revealed that both UNN and NYSC have officially disowned the documents, confirming there are no records showing Mr. Nnaji’s graduation or completion of national service.
In his court motion, the minister is seeking orders restraining UNN from “tampering with his academic records and compelling the release of his academic transcript.
Justice Yilwa granted three of his requests but declined to issue injunctive reliefs against the defendants. The case has been adjourned to October 6, 2025, for further hearing.
