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The Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has confirmed the arrest of the immediate past Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji.

According to a statement on Wednesday by the Commission, Nnaji was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with the assistance of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The ICPC explained that the former Minister was arrested based on a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court after ignoring several invitations to appear for investigative interviews.

The Commission confirmed that Nnaji is now in its custody for further investigation.

“ICPC has arrested the immediate past Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji (M), following the execution of a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court of Nigeria.

“The arrest was effected on Wednesday, 1st July 2026 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon Mr. Nnaji’s arrival. He was apprehended with the assistance of the Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequently handed over to the ICPC for further investigation.

“The Commission had earlier extended formal invitations to the former minister through a letter referenced ICPC/HC/CSTF/GUN/GBT/T.1/VOLV16, dated 15 May 2026. The invitation notices were duly served to his known addresses in Abuja and Enugu, as well as his electronic mail address.

“Despite service through multiple channels, Mr. Nnaji failed to appear for investigative interviews on the scheduled dates, necessitating further legal action,” the statement read.

The ICPC had been on the trail of the former minister since he resigned from office last year following investigations into allegations that he forged his academic certificates.

Nnaji had earlier denied reports suggesting that a court ordered his arrest, insisting that he is neither in hiding nor evading law enforcement authorities.

Nnaji’s denial followed a recent publication by Premium Times on an alleged court order linked to an investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

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The Presidency has dismissed allegations of bribery levelled against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, describing them as false and the handiwork of a man allegedly posing as the Director-General of a non-existent government agency.

The Presidency was reacting to allegations made by the acclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council/Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.

Adeyemi had accused Gbajabiamila of demanding ₦27.4 billion as a take-off grant for the agency and alleged that the Chief of Staff received ₦400 million through proxies to facilitate his appointment, with an outstanding balance of ₦200m.

The claimant had also urged President Bola Tinubu to constitute an independent panel to investigate the allegations and compel the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the outcome of the probe.

However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the allegations, accusing Adeyemi of peddling falsehood.

“We are aware of the public interest in the matter of a man called Adeyemi Adeniyi Matthew, who has been parading himself as the director-general of a fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council cum Presidential Economic Advisory Council,” Onanuga said.

He explained that the Office of the Chief of Staff was the first to alert security agencies about the existence of the alleged fake agency after complaints were received from the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission that another body appeared to be operating at cross-purposes with it.

“The office of the Chief of Staff to the President first blew the whistle on the existence of the illegal agency, following complaints from officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council that another government agency appeared to be functioning at cross-purposes with it,” he said.

According to Onanuga, Gbajabiamila, on October 17, 2025, wrote to the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force, requesting an investigation into individuals allegedly forging appointment letters purportedly issued from his office.

“The Chief of Staff, on October 17, in a letter, asked the DSS and the Police to probe the activities of ‘fraudsters and imposters’ forging appointment letters purportedly from his office.

“The letter to the security agencies was accompanied by a copy of the forged appointment letter, a copy of the request for a note verbal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and pictures of engagements obtained from the illegal agency’s website,” he stated.

Onanuga added that concerns over the purported agency had also been raised within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He disclosed that in a letter dated October 15, 2025, and signed by Ambassador Anderson Madubuike, the ministry sought clarification from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff regarding the status of Adeyemi’s agency after he reportedly met with ambassadors at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Abuja without the ministry’s involvement.

He further explained that the Office of the National Security Adviser subsequently wrote to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on October 20, while the OSGF later sought clarification from the Chief of Staff.

“On 29 October, the OSGF wrote to the Chief of Staff requesting clarification. ‘This has become expedient owing to several requests from governmental and non-governmental bodies seeking to ascertain the status of the appointment under consideration,’” Onanuga quoted.

The presidential spokesman maintained that Gbajabiamila had already informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that he never issued any appointment letter to Adeyemi.

“Two days earlier, the Chief of Staff sent his own clear rebuttal to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, stating that he had never issued an appointment letter to Adeyemi as director general of the fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.

“The Chief of Staff could not have issued a letter of appointment to a non-existent agency. Moreover, the Chief of Staff does not make appointments or write letters, as these are the exclusive preserve of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,” he added.

Onanuga also cited findings from the police investigation, alleging that Adeyemi forged documents and falsely presented himself as a government appointee.

“The police were able to establish that the agency Adeyemi purportedly headed was fictitious, that he forged his appointment letter and the documents recovered in his office and home, that he falsely paraded himself as a government appointee, and that he falsely solicited a note verbal from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to enable him and his staff to obtain US visas,” he said.

According to him, investigators also discovered that Adeyemi allegedly operated 34 bank accounts, including nine opened in the names of fictitious agencies.

Onanuga said the police further found that Adeyemi allegedly used fake documents to fraudulently open a Central Bank of Nigeria account by misleading the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

He, however, noted that investigators established that no government funds had been paid into the account.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, permission to present evidence of her acquittal by the Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom in her ongoing legal battle over forfeited assets.

Justice Inyang Ekwo approved the application on Wednesday after counsel to Alison-Madueke, Godwin Iyinbor, moved the motion and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) indicated it had no objection.

The EFCC was represented in court by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mofesomo Oyetibo.

The development follows the June 17 decision of the Southwark Crown Court in London, which discharged and acquitted the former minister of criminal bribery charges brought against her in the United Kingdom.

Alison-Madueke is currently challenging the forfeiture of her assets before the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, with the EFCC listed as the sole respondent.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, both parties first regularised their court filings before Iyinbor sought leave to move a motion on notice filed on June 25.

According to the defence counsel, the application sought permission to file a further and supplementary affidavit to bring the UK court’s acquittal to the attention of the Federal High Court as a fresh and significant development in the case.

He also urged the court to deem the additional affidavit as properly filed and served.

Responding, Oyetibo confirmed that the EFCC had received the application but argued that it merely sought to inform the court of Alison-Madueke’s acquittal in the United Kingdom.

When Justice Ekwo asked whether the anti-graft agency intended to oppose the application, the EFCC’s counsel replied that the commission had no objection.

The court subsequently granted the application and adjourned the matter until October 6 for hearing.

Justice Ekwo also ruled that the EFCC’s preliminary objection and the substantive suit would be heard together on the next adjourned date.