A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) official has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that a certificate presented in connection with Uche Nnaji, a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, contains four irregularities that indicate it was not issued by the corps.
Yusuf Jumare, an Assistant Director in the NYSC Department of Certification, made the disclosure on Tuesday while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the criminal case against the former minister.
Appearing before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, Jumare said his department examined the disputed certificate following a request from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and concluded that it was not an authentic NYSC document.
The testimony adds another dimension to the legal battle over Nnaji’s academic qualifications, which had earlier triggered questions about the documents he presented before becoming a minister.
The ICPC is prosecuting him in charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/389/2026 over allegations of certificate forgery and money laundering.
Nnaji resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet following the controversy surrounding his academic credentials. He is also the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the forthcoming Enugu State governorship election.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Jimoh Abdulmumuni (SAN), Jumare explained that the disputed certificate contained four features inconsistent with the NYSC records and procedures applicable to the period Nnaji allegedly completed his national service.
The first concerned the certificate number.
According to the witness, the document carried the prefix ‘A’ despite purportedly having been issued in 1985. He told the court that the NYSC did not begin using that prefix until 1990, five years after the date indicated on the certificate.
Jumare also questioned the call-up number printed on the document.
He said it contained four digits, ‘0137’, whereas the corps used five-digit call-up numbers in 1985.
The third issue related to the duration of service recorded on the certificate.
The witness told the court that the document indicated a service period of 13 months, instead of the statutory 12 months required under the NYSC scheme.
He identified the fourth discrepancy as the designation of the official who purportedly signed the certificate.
Jumare explained that the head of the NYSC was known as ‘Director’ during the period in question. However, the disputed document bore the signature of an official described as a ‘National General’.
He maintained that these inconsistencies formed the basis of his department’s position that the certificate was not issued by the corps.
The prosecution subsequently presented correspondence exchanged between the ICPC and the NYSC concerning the disputed certificate.
The court admitted the documents as evidence, although the defence indicated that it would reserve its objections to their admissibility until a later stage.
Counsel to Nnaji explained that the defence had not been served with the documents.
In response, Abdulmumuni told the court that he had only recently taken over the case and promised to make the documents available to the defence.
During cross-examination by Nnaji’s lawyer, Bode Olanipekun (SAN), Jumare stood by his position that the certificate was not issued by the NYSC.
He explained that his department was responsible for keeping records of certificates issued by the corps and that certificates were presented to corps members after they successfully completed their service year.
The witness also gave an account of the mobilisation process, explaining that call-up letters were sent to universities for collection by graduates.
He added that universities were responsible for submitting the names of eligible graduates to the NYSC for mobilisation.
However, one admission during cross-examination provided an important qualification to his testimony.
Under further questioning, Jumare acknowledged that he had not established whether Nnaji was ever issued a certificate by the NYSC.
His evidence, therefore, centred on the irregularities identified in the document presented for examination and the corps’ position that it did not originate from the institution.
Jumare’s appearance came about a week after another prosecution witness, ICPC investigator SP Yakubu Ibrahim, gave evidence concerning Nnaji’s academic qualifications.
Ibrahim had told the same court that both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the NYSC disowned certificates attributed to the former minister.
According to the investigator, UNN informed the commission that Nnaji did not satisfy the academic requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry attributed to him.
He further testified that the university confirmed that the degree certificate in question was not issued by the institution.
The ICPC investigator also disclosed that findings from the commission’s investigation showed that Nnaji received approximately N29.5m in salaries and allowances during his time as minister before resigning.
The commission alleges that Nnaji presented forged academic and NYSC certificates to secure his ministerial appointment in 2023 and subsequently received public funds through the position.
He was arraigned on six counts bordering on alleged certificate forgery, money laundering and abuse of office.
Nnaji pleaded not guilty to all six counts.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until November 30 for the continuation of Jumare’s cross-examination, while January 29, 2027, was fixed for further proceedings.
