NYSC denies issuing certificate to ex-minister Nnaji

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Tuesday said it did not issue the discharge certificate that a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, claimed to have.

The NYSC made this statement at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Mr Nnaji is being prosecuted for allegedly forging his NYSC discharge certificate and a University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) certificate. He used these documents to get appointed as minister in 2023. The charges also include money laundering.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) started looking into Mr Nnaji after PREMIUM TIMES reported on the certificate forgery scandal that led to his removal from office last year.

Mr Nnaji is the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for the upcoming 2027 governorship election in Enugu State.

NYSC’s Assistant Director in the Department of Certification, Yusuf Jumare, appeared in court on Tuesday as the second prosecution witness, according to The Guardian.

While testifying before trial judge Joyce Abdulmalik, Jumare said an investigation by his department found that the NYSC certificate presented by Mr Nnaji was fake.

Under questioning from prosecution lawyer Jimoh Abdulmumuni, a SAN, Mr Jumare pointed out four signs that showed the document was forged. This supported PREMIUM TIMES’ earlier findings published in October 2025.

Firstly, Jumare said the certificate number, said to be issued in 1985, had the prefix “A” which the NYSC did not start using until 1990.

He added that the call-up number on the certificate had four digits (0137), but the NYSC used five-digit call-up numbers as of 1985.

He also mentioned that the certificate claimed the service year lasted 13 months instead of the standard 12 months.

Additionally, he noted that the copy presented by Mr Nnaji was not signed by the NYSC Director-General at that time.

The prosecution presented copies of letters between the ICPC and the NYSC regarding the alleged fake certificate. The court accepted these as evidence.

The defense said it did not receive the documents and reserved its objection to them until the final address stage.

Prosecution lawyer Abdulmumuni, who said his team just took over the case, promised to provide copies of the documents to the defense.

During cross-examination by defense lawyer Bode Olanikpekun, a SAN, the witness stood firm that the NYSC did not issue the certificate.

Mr Jumare explained that his department keeps all NYSC certificates and that discharge certificates are only given to corps members after they finish their service year. This certificate shows they have completed the service.

He added that before the service year, call-up letters are sent by the NYSC to the schools of prospective corps members for mobilization.

He said the NYSC only mobilizes graduates whose institutions send their names.

Jumare admitted that he did not verify if the NYSC ever issued a discharge certificate to Mr Nnaji.

Judge Abdulmalik postponed the case until November 30 for more cross-examination. Further proceedings are scheduled for January 29, 2027.

The ICPC began its case in October, with its first witness, Yakubu Ibrahim, a police officer with the agency, testifying that both the UNN and NYSC disowned certificates linked to Mr Nnaji.

Ibrahim said his team was told to investigate after receiving two petitions about certificate forgery against Mr Nnaji.

He explained that the Chairman of the Special Task Force ordered the investigation, prompting the ICPC to request 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 sent Mr Nnaji’s NYSC certificate and BSc certificate in Microbiology and Biochemistry to the ICPC.

He said the NYSC responded that the certificate Mr Nnaji claimed was not issued by them.

Ibrahim added that UNN also stated that Mr Nnaji did not achieve the required grades for his certificate. They explained that if a student fails four times, they do not qualify.

Ibrahim said Mr Nnaji failed at two stages and did not write the exam at the third stage due to medical reasons.

“The witness said that, according to the letter, the defendant went ahead to write a supplementary exam for which he did not register,” he said.

Ibrahim also confirmed that UNN stated that the BSc certificate attributed to Mr Nnaji was not issued by the university.

The ICPC also obtained documents from the SGF’s office, including a payslip, which led them to request Mr Nnaji’s bank statement.

According to him, the bank statement showed that Mr 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, NYSC, the bank, and Mr Nnaji, which were admitted as evidence.

He also told the court that Mr Nnaji did not respond to the ICPC's invitation to answer questions regarding the petitions, which made the ICPC contact the State Security Service (SSS).

Ibrahim revealed that the SSS arrested Mr Nnaji on July 1.

On July 13, ICPC brought the 63-year-old before the Federal High Court in Abuja on six charges.

Charges three, four, five, and six are specifically about the alleged certificate forgery, while the first two charges relate to the alleged misappropriation of funds while he was in office.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Judge Joyce Abdulmalik granted him bail for N20 million with one surety.