Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has filed a supplementary petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging the anti-graft agency to expand its ongoing investigation into former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, to include allegations of salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, payroll manipulation and possible conspiracy involving public officials. The petition, signed by HEDA Chairman Olanrewaju Suraju, follows an earlier submission dated October 17, 2025, which accused the former minister of certificate forgery, perjury and presenting false academic credentials.
According to HEDA, newly obtained records from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) indicate that Nnaji may have continued to receive government salary payments months after his removal from office. The organisation alleged that payroll records for June 2026 showed Nnaji was still listed under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) as "Hon. Minister" and received a net payment of N170,282.61 for the month. The petition further claimed that IPPIS records reflected cumulative earnings of N5,845,601.13 recorded against his profile.
Expressing concern over the development, Suraju said the alleged continued payment of public funds to a former public office holder raised serious questions about the integrity of the government's payroll system. "We are concerned that a public official who has left office could allegedly remain active on the government payroll system for several months. Beyond the individual involved, this raises questions about the accountability of officials responsible for maintaining and supervising government payroll records," he said.
Nnaji resigned from his position on October 7, 2025, three days after an investigative report by Premium Times exposed alleged irregularities in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial screening in August 2023. Following the initial scandal, the ICPC launched an investigation. After Nnaji ignored multiple invitations to be questioned, the agency secured an arrest warrant against him. On July 1, 2026, the former minister was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon arrival from Enugu on a chartered flight.
He was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja and pleaded not guilty to charges of certificate forgery and unlawfully receiving about N29.58 million in salaries and allowances under false pretences. HEDA's supplementary petition urged the ICPC to expand the scope of its investigation and consider additional offences relating to alleged salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, payroll manipulation, and possible collaboration with officials responsible for maintaining payroll records. The organisation also requested that the Commission investigate the circumstances surrounding the continued presence of Nnaji's profile on the IPPIS platform after leaving office, identify and investigate officials responsible for approving or maintaining the alleged payments, take appropriate steps to prevent further disbursement of public funds pending the outcome of investigations, and recover any public funds found to have been improperly paid.
However, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has dismissed the allegations as "nonsense borne out of ignorance," arguing that documentary evidence shows Nnaji reported the payments and initiated a refund. In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA said the former minister, upon discovering that salary and emolument payments had continued after his exit from office, promptly notified the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and sought instructions on how to refund the money. Nnaji wrote to the SGF, describing the continued payments as an "apparent administrative error" and requesting instructions, computation and designated government account details to facilitate a full refund. He subsequently wrote Fidelity Bank on June 25, 2026, instructing the bank to debit his account and remit money to the Federal Government through the Remita platform under the Office of the SGF, with the stated purpose of the transaction being "Refund of salary paid after resignation from office."
HURIWA argued that the documents undermined any suggestion that Nnaji deliberately orchestrated the continued payments. The group said the central issue should instead be how a former minister remained on the federal payroll months after his resignation and which government officials were responsible for the failure to deactivate his records. The organisation also claimed the ICPC had previously looked into the matter and did not establish that Nnaji orchestrated or was responsible for the continued salary payments. While reaffirming its support for accountability, HURIWA cautioned against what it described as attempts to politicise corruption allegations ahead of the 2027 general elections and urged the ICPC to conduct an impartial investigation, identify any officials responsible for lapses in the payroll system and ensure the issue was not exploited for partisan political purposes.
The controversy highlights the fragility of Nigeria's public financial management systems, where a former minister can reportedly remain on the government payroll for nearly ten months after resignation, while also exposing the competing narratives between anti-corruption groups and rights organisations over how such administrative failures should be addressed. HEDA has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting transparency, accountability and integrity in public service, stressing that public resources must be protected from abuse through effective oversight mechanisms. The organisation called on relevant anti-corruption agencies to ensure a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation into the allegations contained in the petition and take appropriate legal action where wrongdoing is established.
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