A witness from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Jumare, has identified four alleged discrepancies in the National Service Certificate purportedly issued to former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, telling the court that the document was not an authentic certificate of the corps.
Jumare made the disclosure while testifying in Nnaji’s ongoing trial before the court, where he was led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Jimoh Abdulmumuni (SAN).
The witness identified discrepancies relating to the certificate number, call-up number, duration of service and designation of the NYSC official who purportedly signed the document.
He told the court that the certificate number indicated that the document was issued in 1985 but carried the prefix ‘A’, which, according to him, was not introduced by the NYSC until 1990.
Jumare also questioned the call-up number on the certificate, explaining that it contained four digits, ‘0137’, instead of the five-digit format used by the corps in 1985.
He further faulted the duration of service stated on the document, which indicated 13 months rather than the statutory 12-month national service period.
The fourth discrepancy, according to the witness, concerned the designation of the NYSC official who purportedly signed the certificate.
He explained that the head of the corps was designated ‘Director’ during the period Nnaji claimed to have completed his national service, whereas the disputed certificate was signed by an official identified as a ‘National General’.
The prosecution subsequently tendered copies of correspondence between the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the NYSC concerning the disputed certificate.
The documents were admitted in evidence, although the defence indicated that it would reserve its objections to their admissibility until a later stage, saying it had not been served with the documents.
In response, the prosecution counsel explained that he had only recently taken over the case and undertook to make the documents available to the defence.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, Bode Olanipekun (SAN), Jumare maintained that the certificate was not issued by the NYSC.
He explained that his department was responsible for keeping records of certificates issued by the corps, adding that such documents were presented to corps members after successfully completing their service year.
The witness also told the court that call-up letters were transmitted to universities for collection by graduates, while the institutions were responsible for forwarding the names of eligible candidates to the NYSC for mobilisation.
However, under further questioning by the defence, Jumare admitted that he had not established whether Nnaji had ever been issued a certificate by the corps.
The testimony came barely a week after another ICPC investigator, Superintendent of Police Yakubu Ibrahim, told the same court that the NYSC and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, had disowned certificates attributed to the former minister.
Ibrahim had testified that the university informed the commission that Nnaji did not meet the academic requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry attributed to him.
The investigator also told the court that UNN confirmed that the degree certificate was not issued by the institution.
He further disclosed that the ICPC investigation showed that Nnaji received approximately N29.5m in salaries and allowances during his tenure as minister before resigning.
The commission alleged that Nnaji presented forged academic and NYSC certificates to support his appointment as minister in 2023 and subsequently received public funds through the appointment.
The former minister was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on alleged certificate forgery, money laundering and abuse of office. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until November 30 for the continuation of Jumare’s cross-examination and January 29, 2027, for further proceedings.
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