NYSC didn’t issue certificate to ex-Minister Nnaji – Witness tells Court

As the prosecution of the former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, hots up, the National Youth Service Corps has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that it did not issue the discharge certificate presented by former minister Uche Nnaji.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was on Tuesday told that the certificate purportedly issued in 1985 bore the prefix “A”, but it was introduced in 1990, hence, it couldn’t have been a genuine certificate.

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The NYSC witness who was identified as Yusuf Jumare told Justice Joyce Abdulmalik-led Federal High Court.

Nnaji was a former Minister in the late President Muhammadu Buhari administration who rendered his resignation after he alleged to have involved in NYSC certificate forgery.

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He is standing trial in Court over allegations of certificate forgery and money laundering charges. The was on Tuesday adjourned till November 30 for further cross-examination and January 29 for continuation of trial.

Nnaji is the governorship candidate for Enugu State in the 2027 general election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He is facing a 6-count charge on allegations of forging NYSC discharge certificate and the University of Nigeria Nsukka degree certificate.

Testifying as the second prosecution witness before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the Assistant Director, Department of Certification at the NYSC, Yusuf Jumare, said his department’s investigation, carried out at the request of the ICPC, showed that the document was fake.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Jimoh Abdulmumuni (SAN), Jumare listed four features to back his claim.

He said the certificate, purportedly issued in 1985, bore the prefix “A,” which the NYSC only began using in 1990.

He added that the call-up number on the certificate, 0137, had four digits, whereas call-up numbers in 1985 had five digits.

The witness also noted that the certificate indicated a service period of 13 months, rather than the standard 12 months.

Furthermore, he said the certificate was signed by a “National General,” whereas the head of the NYSC at the time was designated “Director.”

The prosecution also tendered copies of correspondence between the ICPC and the NYSC on the certificate, which were admitted as exhibits.

The defence said it would raise its objections to the documents’ admissibility later, noting that it had not been served copies.

The prosecution counsel said he had just taken over the case and undertook to make the documents available to the defence.

Under cross-examination by Bode Olanipekun (SAN), Jumare insisted that the certificate did not emanate from the NYSC.

He explained that his department was the custodian of all NYSC certificates, which are issued only after the completion of service.

He added that call-up letters are sent to universities, which also forward the names of their graduates for mobilisation.

The witness, however, admitted that he did not check whether the defendant had ever been issued any certificate by the NYSC.

Nnaji’s legal team was led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and included Ugwu Onoja (SAN), Bode Olanipekun (SAN) and George Ibrahim (SAN).

Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case until November 30 for continuation of the cross-examination of the witness, and January 29 for continuation of the trial.

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