The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, on Tuesday disowned the certificates linked to a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, telling a Federal High Court in Abuja that it was not issued by the Corps.
The former minister is standing trial on six prices, amongst them alleged forgery of an NYSC discharge certificates and a University of Nigeria, Nsukka, diploma certificates.
Testifying because the second prosecution witness (PW2) earlier than Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the NYSC’s Assistant Director within the Department of Certification, Yusuf Abubakar Jumare, stated an investigation by his division established that the doc was pretend.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, is prosecuting Nnaji on prices of certificates forgery and cash laundering in cost No: FHC/ABJ/CR/389/2026.
The former minister is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate within the forthcoming Enugu State governorship election.
He was represented in court docket by a workforce of attorneys led by Chief Wole Olanikpekun, SAN. Other members of the workforce are Chief Ugwu Onoja, Bode Olanikpekun and George Ibrahim, all of them Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
Led in proof by Jimoh Abdulmumuni, SAN, Jumare stated the division launched its investigation following a request from the ICPC.
He recognized four options which, he stated, confirmed that the certificates was not issued by the NYSC.
The certificates quantity, purportedly issued in 1985, carries the prefix “A”, which the NYSC didn’t start utilizing till 1990.
The call-up quantity on the certificates has four digits (0137), whereas call-up numbers in 1985 had 5.
The certificates signifies a service interval of 13 months as an alternative of 12 calendar months.
It was additionally not signed by the CEO of the NYSC on the time he claimed to have accomplished his service. Whereas the designation of NYSC CEO from inception until previous the time of his purported completion of service was generally known as “Director,” Nnaji’s certificates was signed by a “National General.”
The prosecution additionally tendered copies of correspondence between the ICPC and the NYSC on the alleged pretend certificates. They have been admitted in proof and marked as displays.
The defence stated it might handle its objections to the admissibility of the displays at a later date, informing the court docket that it had not been served with the paperwork.
Prosecution counsel defined that he had solely simply taken over the case and undertook to make the paperwork obtainable to the defence.
Under cross-examination by Bode Olanikpekun, SAN, Jumare maintained that the certificates was not issued by the NYSC.
He advised the court docket that his division is the custodian of all NYSC certificates. He stated certificates are issued to corps members solely on completion of their service 12 months, and function proof of that completion. Call-up letters, he added, are despatched by the NYSC to universities, the place graduates acquire them. Only universities ahead the names of graduates to the NYSC for mobilisation.
He admitted, nevertheless, that he didn’t test whether or not the defendant had ever been issued a certificates by the NYSC.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case till November 30 for continuation of cross-examination of PW2 and till January 29 for continuation of trial.
