Court Dismisses Minister’s Bid to Block UNN from Releasing Academic Records
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed an application filed by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, seeking to restrain the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), from releasing his academic records.
In a ruling delivered on September 22, Justice Hauwa Yilwa declined to grant the minister’s request for an injunction. A Certified True Copy of the judgment was obtained by the press on Sunday.
Nnaji, through an ex parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, had prayed the court to restrain UNN from releasing or tampering with his academic records. He also sought an order compelling the university and its officials to release his academic transcript.
After hearing submissions from counsel and reviewing the affidavits and written addresses filed in support of the motion, the court held that while the applicant had a sufficient interest in the matter, the prayer for an injunction could not be sustained.
Justice Yilwa ruled: “The application is partly meritorious. Accordingly, prayers 1, 2 and 3 are granted, while prayer 4, which sought an injunction, is declined.” The court further clarified that the reliefs granted should not be construed as restraining any party from performing its lawful duties.
In a related development, the Vice‑Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, in a letter dated October 2, 2025, informed a media organisation that the institution did not issue Nnaji any certificate, as records showed he did not complete his studies.
The letter stated in part: “From our records, we cannot confirm that Mr Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, the current Minister of Science and Technology, graduated from the University of Nigeria in July 1985. There are no records showing that he completed his studies.”
The university reiterated that since Nnaji did not complete his programme, it could not have issued him a certificate. This position, it added, was consistent with an earlier communication sent to the Public Complaints Commission in May 2025.
Court filings further revealed that Nnaji admitted he had not collected his degree certificate, contrary to the certificate he allegedly presented to the Senate during his ministerial screening in August 2023. In the suit, he joined as respondents the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, UNN, its Vice‑Chancellor, Registrar, former Acting Vice‑Chancellor Prof. Oguejiofor Ujam, and the Senate of the institution.
