The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has disowned the discharge certificate allegedly linked to former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, telling a Federal High Court in Abuja that the document was not issued by the organisation.
An NYSC official, Yusuf Abubakar Jumare, disclosed this on Tuesday while testifying as the second prosecution witness (PW2) in Nnaji’s ongoing trial over alleged certificate forgery and money laundering.
Nnaji is facing six charges, including allegations that he forged his NYSC discharge certificate and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), degree certificate.
Testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, Jumare, an Assistant Director in the NYSC Department of Certification, said an investigation conducted by his department established that the disputed discharge certificate was not genuine.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is prosecuting the former minister in charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/389/2026.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Jimoh Abdulmumuni, SAN, Jumare explained that the NYSC began investigating the certificate following a request from the ICPC.
He identified four discrepancies which, according to him, showed that the document was not issued by the Corps.
First, he said the certificate number carried the prefix “A”, although the NYSC did not introduce that format until 1990, whereas the disputed document was purportedly issued in 1985.
Second, the call-up number on the certificate was written as four digits — “0137” — instead of the five-digit format allegedly used by the NYSC in 1985.
Third, Jumare said the document indicated a service period of 13 months rather than the required 12 calendar months.
He also questioned the designation of the official who signed the certificate. According to the witness, the head of the NYSC was designated “Director” during the period in question, but the disputed document bore the signature of an official described as a “National General”.
The prosecution also presented correspondence exchanged between the ICPC and the NYSC concerning the disputed certificate. The documents were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits.
However, the defence informed the court that it would raise objections to their admissibility at a later stage, arguing that it had not been served with the documents.
In response, the prosecution counsel explained that he had only recently taken over the case and promised to make the documents available to the defence.
During cross-examination by Bode Olanikpekun, SAN, Jumare maintained that the certificate was not issued by the NYSC.
He told the court that his department was responsible for keeping records of all certificates issued by the Corps and explained that discharge certificates are given to corps members only after they complete their service year.
The witness further stated that the NYSC sends call-up letters to universities, where graduates collect them, while universities are responsible for forwarding graduates’ names to the Corps for mobilisation.
However, under further questioning, Jumare admitted that he had not checked whether Nnaji had ever been issued an NYSC certificate.
Nnaji was represented by a team of lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanikpekun, SAN, alongside Chief Ugwu Onoja, Bode Olanikpekun and George Ibrahim, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until November 30 for the continuation of the cross-examination of the witness and January 29 for further proceedings.
The allegations against Nnaji remain before the court, and the trial is ongoing.
