Science Minister’s Suit against Certificate Forgery Allegations Stalled

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Hearing in the suit filed by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, failed to proceed as scheduled, due to the inability of the lawyer to the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and its officials to file their responses against the suit.

Trial judge, Justice Hauwa Yilwa subsequently adjourned the matter until November 10 for hearing.

The minister had dragged the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNN and its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, to court, following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.

While the Education Minister, NUC, UNN and Prof. Ortuanya are the 1st to 4th respondents, the 5th to 7th respondents are the Registrar, UNN; a former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oguenjiofor Ujam; and the Senate respectively, in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025.

Nnaji, in an ex-parte motion, had sought an order granting him leave to issue prerogative writs prohibiting the university and its officials from “tampering with” or continuing to “tamper with” his academic records.

The applicant in addition also sought leave to issue a prerogative writ of mandamus compelling the university and its officials to release his academic transcript to him, and asked the Minister of Education and the NUC to exercise their supervisory powers to compel UNN to do so.

In another relief, the minister also sought an interim injunction restraining UNN and its officials from “tampering” with his academic records pending the determination of the substantive suit, among others.

But in her ruling on September 22, the judge granted three of the reliefs sought by Nnaji but declined to issue any injunctive order against the respondents, before adjourning the matter to October 6, for further hearing.

Meanwhile, when the matter was called on Monday, Nnaji was represented by Sebastine Hon, SAN, while E.M. Asogwa appeared for the 3rd to 7th respondents (UNN and its officers).

However, no lawyer appeared for either the Minister of Education or NUC (1st and 2nd respondents).

Hon, therefore, told the court that all the parties in the suit had been served.

The senior lawyer told the court that although the 3rd to 7th respondents were served on September 29, he alleged that the 4th respondent (Prof. Ortuanya) wrote an official letter to PREMIUM TIMES, an online newspaper, on October 2, a few days after being served, claiming that Nnaji was not a graduate of the university.

Hon added that the “newspaper subsequently published a damaging statement against the applicant (Nnaji) on October 4, titled: ‘Investigation: The serial certificate forger in President Tinubu’s cabinet.’”

He argued that even though the court had refused some prayers of the applicant, the respondents failed to maintain the status quo after being served.

The plaintiff lawyer claimed that they went ahead to publish a damaging statement against the applicant, contrary to the court’s rule that once leave is granted, all parties must not take further action.

Hon, therefore, informed the court that the applicant would file further processes regarding the development.

However, Asogwa told the court that while he would not give credibility to Hon’s claims, they would properly “advise their clients to maintain status quo pending the substantive hearing.”

He also told the court that the 3rd to 7th respondents were still within time to file their responses.

Justice Yilwa then adjourned the matter until November 10 for hearing