NYSC Tells Court It Did Not Issue Discharge Certificate Geoffrey Nnaji Presented to Senate

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that it did not issue the discharge certificate that Geoffrey Nnaji, a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, allegedly presented to the National Assembly during his ministerial screening.

Yusuf Abubakar Jumare, an assistant director in the NYSC's Department of Certification, gave the testimony as the second prosecution witness in the case brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Nnaji faces six counts involving alleged corruption, fraud, conferring a corrupt advantage on himself and providing false information. The charges relate to the alleged making and presentation of a false national service certificate and a university degree certificate.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Jimoh Abdulmumini (SAN), Jumare said his department examined the disputed certificate at the ICPC's request. He pointed to four discrepancies which, in his view, showed that the NYSC did not issue it. First, the certificate was purportedly issued in 1985 but carried an "A" prefix, which the NYSC did not begin using until 1990. Second, it bore the four-digit call-up number 0137, whereas call-up numbers issued in 1985 had five digits. Third, it recorded 13 months of service instead of the standard 12 calendar months. Fourth, it did not carry the signature of the NYSC director-general in office at the time.

The prosecution tendered copies of correspondence between the ICPC and the NYSC on the disputed certificate. The court admitted them as exhibits, while the defence team, led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN), reserved its objection to their admissibility. The defence complained that it had not been served with the documents, and Abdulmumini, who said he had only recently taken over the case, undertook to provide copies.

Under cross-examination by Bode Olanipekun (SAN), Jumare maintained that the NYSC had not issued the certificate before the court. He said his department keeps the agency's certificate records and that corps members receive discharge certificates only after completing their service year. He explained that universities send the names of graduates to the NYSC for mobilisation, after which the agency sends call-up letters to the universities for graduates to collect. Jumare acknowledged that he had not checked whether the NYSC had ever issued a certificate to Nnaji.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the trial until November 30 for continuation of Jumare's cross-examination.