Former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was arrested on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport shortly after arriving from Enugu aboard a chartered flight.
Authoritative airport sources confirmed the arrest, saying Nnaji is expected to be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for interrogation.
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 leave to arrest Nnaji as part of its investigation. The court also authorised the commission to declare him wanted through national newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels.
According to court documents, the ICPC sought the ex parte order after Nnaji allegedly failed to honour several invitations for questioning in connection with the investigation.
The commission told the court that repeated efforts to secure his appearance for investigative activities were unsuccessful, prompting it to seek judicial approval to arrest him and declare him wanted.
Nnaji was taken into custody upon his arrival at the Abuja airport and is expected to be transferred to the ICPC for further investigation.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not issued an official statement on the arrest, while Nnaji and his representatives had yet to respond to the allegations.
