By

Chinyelu okeke

ABUJA — Former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was arrested on Wednesday at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after arriving from Enugu on a chartered flight.

According to airport officials, Nnaji was taken into custody and is expected to be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, for questioning.

The arrest is linked to an ongoing ICPC investigation into allegations that the former minister forged his academic certificates.

In mid-June, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted the anti-corruption agency permission to arrest Nnaji as part of the probe. The court also authorized the commission to declare him wanted through national newspapers, social media, and other media channels.

Court documents show that the ICPC applied for the ex parte order after Nnaji allegedly ignored several invitations to appear for questioning. The commission told the court that repeated efforts to secure his cooperation for “investigative activities” were unsuccessful, which led to the request for his arrest and public declaration as a wanted person.

Nnaji was arrested upon arrival in Abuja on Wednesday and is expected to be transferred to the ICPC for further investigation.

As of the time of this report, the ICPC had not released an official statement on the arrest. There was also no immediate response from Nnaji or his representatives regarding the allegations