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Alleged certificate forgery: Ex-Minister Nnaji pleads not guilty and gets N20m bail

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Alleged certificate forgery: Ex-Minister Nnaji pleads not guilty and gets N20m bail

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted N20 million bail to the former Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, following his arraignment on a six-count certificate forgery charge on Monday, July 13.
The criminal charge, initiated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), accuses the former cabinet member of falsifying his academic credentials. Specifically, the anti-graft agency alleges that Nnaji forged a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He faces further accusations of presenting a fraudulent National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate during his Senate ministerial screening process in 2023.
Nnaji, who served in the cabinet from August 16, 2023, until his resignation on October 6, 2025, maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all counts read before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Following the not-guilty plea, the defense counsel successfully argued an application for bail. Justice Abdulmalik granted the administrative release under specific terms requiring substantial institutional guarantees.
The defense must provide a surety in the sum of N20 million who is a civil servant residing within the Federal Capital Territory and holding a rank no lower than Grade Level 15. The court further directed that the surety depose to an affidavit of means, while the former minister must surrender his international passport and obtain explicit judicial clearance before any international travel.
The judge has scheduled July 21 for the formal commencement of the trial. Nnaji had previously been taken into custody by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport upon his return to Abuja on July 1 to facilitate the commission’s long-running investigation.

‘1000 Missiles Locked’ – Trump Says US Will ‘Completely Decimate’ Iran If Assassinated

President Donald Trump said Friday the United States would “completely decimate” Iran if it attempted or succeeded in assassinating the sitting president. The warning comes amid heightened tensions as reports surface of a potential plot targeting the American leader.

“1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

The president emphasized that the necessary authorizations for a sweeping military response have already been put in place forthe armed forces.

“Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran,” he said.

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