A former Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Uche Nnaji, alongside the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and other parties involved in a certificate forgery dispute, have initiated moves to resolve the matter out of court, pausing further proceedings.
This was revealed on Monday during proceedings before Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the case was scheduled for the hearing of pending applications.
Nnaji had approached the court in October 2025 following an investigation by Premium Times which alleged that he forged his first degree and National Youth Service Corps certificates.
The report also criticised the minister for allegedly submitting the forged documents to President Bola Tinubu and the Senate during his ministerial screening.
Nnaji later resigned from his position amid widespread controversy, explaining that he did not want the issue to distract from the administration’s activities.
Since its filing, the case has faced delays due to procedural challenges, including issues with the service of court processes and several preliminary objections raised by the defendants.
When the matter was called on Monday, counsel to Nnaji, Ope Muritala, informed the court that although it was listed for the hearing of pending applications, there had been a new development. He noted that parties were exploring an amicable settlement and requested an adjournment to allow discussions to continue.
“There is a new development as parties are exploring an out-of-court settlement,” he told the court.
Lawyers representing the first (Minister of Education) and second (National Universities Commission) defendants, P.C. Ike and N.H. Obah, said they were unaware of the settlement talks before arriving in court but did not oppose the request for an adjournment.
However, counsel to the third to seventh defendants, including the UNN and its principal officers, Chidubem Ugwueze, confirmed that the move towards settlement had earlier been communicated.
He told the court that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chris Uche, who leads the defence team, had informed him of the development.
According to him, the update originated from another Senior Advocate, Wole Olanipekun, representing Nnaji.
While not opposing the settlement move, Ugwueze urged the court to proceed with hearing the defendants’ pending motion for regularisation should the talks fail.
Justice Yilwa declined the request, stating that such applications would be better considered only if efforts to reach an out-of-court resolution do not succeed.
Given the parties’ position, the court adjourned the matter until 8 July 2026 for a report on settlement or continuation of proceedings.
The suit centres on Nnaji’s attempt to prevent the release or alleged tampering of his academic records by the university and its officials.
In an ex parte application, the former minister sought leave to apply for prerogative orders, including an order of prohibition restraining the university and its officials from interfering with his academic records.
He also requested an order of mandamus compelling the institution to release his academic transcript. Additionally, he asked the Minister of Education and the NUC to exercise their supervisory roles to ensure compliance.
However, the defendants, in their preliminary objection, urged the court to strike out the case, arguing that it is incompetent and that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain it.
They maintained that the application was filed outside the statutory time frame prescribed under Order 34 Rule 4(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, as well as Section 2(a) of the Public Officers Protection Act.
