PREMIUM TIMES EDITOR REVEALS HOW MEDIA UNCOVERED ALLEGED ACADEMIC FRAUD INVOLVING FORMER MINISTER UCHE NNAJI

…Discloses Two-Year Investigation Triggered by Whistleblower; Ex-Minister Denies Wrongdoing, Calls Allegations Politically Motivated

The Editor-in-Chief and Chief Operating Officer of Premium Times Newspaper, Musikilu Mojeed, has revealed how the investigative newsroom uncovered the alleged academic certificate fraud involving the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday night, Mojeed narrated how the publication’s investigation began two years ago following a whistleblower’s tip that pointed to inconsistencies in Nnaji’s academic records.

“A whistleblower had written to us via email to raise concern and alert us about some discrepancies in the minister’s claim.

“The whistleblower appealed to us to investigate, saying they did not know the person but were confident that if we did a diligent investigation, we would uncover something shocking. We took up the challenge and started working on it since 2023,” Mojeed explained. 

According to the veteran journalist, Premium Times immediately deployed a team of reporters to Abuja and Enugu to verify the allegations, setting off what would become one of the outlet’s most talked-about investigations in recent times.

“We first wrote to the NYSC on September 23, 2023. We had no problem with the minister; we did not know him. Our strength is investigation, everybody knows Premium Times for that. When a matter is brought before us, we investigate. Sometimes we find things that are indicting; sometimes we don’t. But it is our job as journalists, as required of us by the constitution, to hold power accountable, which is what we have done here,” he said.

Mojeed also responded to recent allegations made by the former minister’s media aide, Robert Ngu, who claimed that Premium Times collected a ₦100 million bribe from the Enugu State Government to publish the damning report.

“Robert Ngu accused us of receiving ₦100 million from the Enugu government. Of course, he is going to prove that in court. We are not a newspaper that you can unduly malign. We have built our integrity for close to 15 years, done a lot of great stories, and no one has ever accused us of such,” Mojeed said.

The controversy reached a climax on Tuesday when Uche Nnaji resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, citing “principle” as his reason for stepping down amid the swirling allegations surrounding his credentials from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.

In a statement released shortly after his resignation, Nnaji insisted that his decision was not an admission of guilt but a personal choice to uphold due process and respect the integrity of ongoing investigations.

“My decision to step aside is therefore a personal choice, not an admission of guilt, but rather a principled decision to respect the sanctity of due process and to preserve the integrity of the judicial proceedings currently before the court,” he said. 

“In the end, justice will prevail, and history will vindicate the just.”

While Nnaji maintains that he graduated from UNN in 1975, reports indicate that the institution could not verify his academic records, a key factor that fueled public scrutiny and media interest.

Describing the entire episode as a politically motivated smear campaign, Nnaji stated: “Over the past week, an orchestrated and sustained campaign of falsehood, politically motivated and malicious attacks have been waged against my person, integrity, and office across print, electronic, and social media platforms. These unfounded allegations and media distortions have not only caused personal distress but have also begun to distract from the vital work of the Ministry and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.”

Appointed as Minister in August 2023, Nnaji expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s vision.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has confirmed the acceptance of Nnaji’s resignation. In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu thanked the former minister for his service and wished him success in his future endeavours.

With the resignation now official and investigations ongoing, the case has reignited national discussions about transparency, ethics, and accountability in public office as Premium Times reaffirms its commitment to fearless journalism and constitutional duty to hold power to account.