Uche Nnaji, the former minister of innovation, science, and technology, has been given permission by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja to travel overseas for medical care.
In order to allow the former minister to make the trip, the judge on Monday ordered that his international passport be freed.
On July 13, Nnaji was charged with six counts of alleged certificate forgery, false information, and corruption by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, or ICPC.
Nnaji, 63, was placed before the court and entered a not guilty plea to the accusation.
The ICPC claimed in charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/391/2026 that Nnaji received N29,578,466.67 in salary and benefits while he was a minister between August 2023 and October 2025.
The commission defined these as “proceeds of unlawful acts, contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”In the second count, the anti-graft agency charged that the former minister had violated the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 by using his position to provide himself a corrupt advantage by getting the same amount as pay and allowances.
The alleged forging of certificates and the creation and use of fraudulent papers are the subject of the other four counts.
The ICPC specifically claimed that during the paperwork process for his ministerial appointment, Nnaji intentionally gave the Secretary to the Government of the Federation a falsified National Youth Service Corps, or NYSC, certificate, numbered A231309.
The commission further claimed that he filed a fake Microbiology/Biochemistry degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with certificate number 004501.
Additionally, the prosecution charged him with violating Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code by creating and utilising the UNN degree certificate and the NYSC certificate as authentic despite allegedly knowing they were fabricated.
A motion requesting the release of Nnaji’s passport so he may travel overseas for medical treatment was submitted from the chambers of Ogwu Onoja, SAN, on Monday.
Following the motion, Justice Abdulmalik issued a brief ruling in which he ordered the defendant’s passport to be released and scheduled the trial to continue on October 26.