Court Blocks Nnaji’s Bid to Stop UNN from Releasing Academic Records
A Federal High Court in Abuja has declined an application 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 Hausa Yilwa dismissed Nnaji’s request for an injunction, according to a Certified True Copy of the judgment obtained on Sunday.
Nnaji, through an ex parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, had asked the court to bar UNN and its officials from releasing or tampering with his academic records and to compel the university to provide his transcript.
After reviewing the supporting affidavits and written submissions, Justice Yilwa ruled that while the minister had a legitimate interest in the matter, the injunction he sought could not be granted.
“I find that the applicant has sufficient interest in the matter, and the application is partly meritorious. Accordingly, prayers 1, 2, and 3 are granted, while prayer 4, which sought an injunction, is declined,” the judge stated.
He clarified that the approved reliefs did not restrain any party from performing its lawful duties. “Prayer 4 is declined. Having been refused, the granting of reliefs 1–3 shall not serve as injunctive reliefs against any of the parties. That’s the order of the court,” Yilwa ruled.
Following the judgment, the Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, in a letter dated October 2, 2025, informed a media organisation that the university had no record showing Nnaji completed his studies.
“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 letter stated.
The university said it therefore could not have issued any certificate to the minister, reaffirming an earlier position communicated to the Public Complaints Commission in May 2025.
In his court filings, Nnaji admitted he had not collected his degree certificate but claimed that the university had confirmed his graduation in a letter issued to an online news platform in December 2023.
“Even though I am yet to collect my certificate from UNN due to the non-cooperative attitude of the university authorities, the institution had issued a letter dated December 21, 2023, confirming that I graduated in July 1985 with a Second Class (Lower Division) in Microbiology/Biochemistry,” he stated.
Nnaji listed the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, UNN, its Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, former Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Oguejiofor Ujam, and the university’s Senate as respondents in the suit.
