Ex-Minister Nnaji, UNN Begin Out-of-Court Settlement Talks Over Forgery Allegations
Former Minister of Science, Innovation, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, along with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and other parties involved in a certificate forgery case, have begun talks to settle the matter out of court, temporarily halting further proceedings.
The development was revealed on Monday before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja, during a session scheduled for the hearing of pending applications.
Nnaji had filed the suit in October 2025 after an investigation alleged that he forged his university and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates, which he purportedly submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial screening.
Amid widespread controversy, Nnaji later resigned, citing a desire not to distract from the administration’s work.
However, progress on the case has been slow due to procedural challenges, including service of court processes and multiple preliminary objections raised by the defendants.
During Monday’s hearing, Nnaji’s counsel, Ope Muritala, informed the court that the parties were pursuing an amicable resolution and requested an adjournment to allow negotiations to continue. “There is a new development as parties are exploring an out-of-court settlement,” he told the court.
Lawyers for the first and second defendants, the Minister of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC), P.C. Ike and N.H. Obah, said they were unaware of the settlement discussions until arriving in court but did not oppose the adjournment request.
Counsel for the third to seventh defendants, including UNN and its principal officers, Chidubem Ugwueze, confirmed prior awareness of the talks, adding that Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Chris Uche had informed him of ongoing negotiations initiated by another SAN, Wole Olanipekun, representing Nnaji.
Ugwueze urged the court to proceed with hearing a pending motion from the defendants in case the settlement fails, but Justice Yilwa declined, noting it would be more appropriate to address such applications only if negotiations break down.
The matter was adjourned to July 8, 2026, for a report on the settlement or continuation of proceedings.
The suit revolves around Nnaji’s bid to prevent the alleged tampering or release of his academic records by UNN and its officials. In his ex parte application, he sought several orders—including one prohibiting the university from interfering with his academic records and another compelling it to release his transcript. He also asked the Education Minister and the NUC to ensure compliance through their supervisory roles.
The defendants, in turn, urged the court to dismiss the suit for lack of jurisdiction, arguing that it was filed outside the statutory period allowed under Order 34 Rule 4(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and Section 2(a) of the Public Officers Protection Act.
