NYSC disowns certificate linked to former Minister Nnaji as it identifies four defects

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that it did not issue the discharge certificate 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, testified 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 allegations of corruption, fraud, conferring a corrupt advantage on himself and providing false information. The charges concern 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 NYSC certificate at the ICPC’s request. He pointed to four discrepancies that, in his view, showed the agency had not issued it.

He said the certificate was purportedly issued in 1985 but carried an “A” prefix, which the NYSC did not begin using until 1990. The document also carried the four-digit call-up number 0137, although call-up numbers issued in 1985 had five digits. Jumare added that the certificate recorded 13 months of service instead of the standard 12 calendar months and did not bear the signature of the NYSC director-general who was in office at the time.

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

Under cross-examination by Bode Olanikpekun (SAN), Jumare maintained that the NYSC had not issued the certificate before the court. He said his department kept the agency’s certificate records and that corps members received discharge certificates only after completing their service year.

He also explained that universities forward the names of graduates to the NYSC for mobilisation. The agency then sends call-up letters to the universities for graduates to collect. Jumare acknowledged that he had not checked whether the NYSC had ever issued Nnaji a certificate. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the trial until November 30 for the continuation of Jumare’s cross-examination.