‎Former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has pleaded not guilty to allegations of forging his university degree and his NYSC discharge certificate brought against him by the federal government.

‎The former Minister, who was charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

‎Nnaji is facing six counts of forging a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate submitted during his ministerial screening in 2023.

The charges further covered claims of receiving approximately N29.5 million in salary and emoluments under false pretenses, as well as money laundering allegations

After his plea of not guilty on Monday, the prosecutor informed the court that he was ready to proceed to trial, with three witnesses available in the courtroom already.

‎Ogwu Onoja, SAN, counsel for the defendant pleaded for more time to prepare for trial and informed the court of a pending application for bail filed on 9 July. The prosecutor did not oppose to the application for bail.

‎In a short ruling, the trial judge granted the defendant bail in the sum of N20million with one surety who must not be below level 15 in the Federal civil service. The surety must be residing in Abuja. Other terms of bail include that Nnaji deposits his official and personal passports.

‎Nnaji being charged to court follows months of investigation questioning the authenticity of his documents. Both UNN and the NYSC have reportedly disowned the certificates in question.

‎He was arrested on June 30, 2026, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon his arrival from Enugu.

‎The arrest was executed following a Federal High Court order issued on June 11, 2026, after he allegedly failed to honor multiple invitations for investigative interviews.

‎Nnaji resigned from his ministerial position on October 7, 2025, describing the move as a “principled decision to respect the sanctity of due process” amid ongoing judicial proceedings, and denying any wrongdoing. He has previously described elements of the case as politically motivated.

‎The defendant is the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Enugu State.

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A coalition of youths and students staged a peaceful demonstration in Maiduguri to protest insecurity and demand the rescue of over 40 pupils abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State

The protest followed the successful rescue of kidnapped students and teachers of schools in Oriire, Ogbomosho, Oyo state.

More than 40 pupils and teachers were kidnapped from the Mussa school, including children as young as two years old.

Parents and families of the abducted said they feel abandoned two months after the Bornu abduction.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the protesters urged the federal government to deploy all available resources to rescue children abducted from Mussa, Lassa and other communities.

Addressing the protesters at the Post Office area of Maiduguri, the convener, Suleiman Muhammed, commended the rescue of the Oyo pupils and teachers but urged the government to replicate the same efforts in Borno.

“We believe the government will not discriminate against any part of the country. The same determination used in Oyo should be applied to rescuing children still in captivity in Borno,” he said.

He also urged the government to create jobs and economic opportunities for young people to reduce crime and insecurity, while warning against the payment of ransom, saying it only encourages more kidnappings.

Another protester, Muhammed Mustapha, questioned why the Borno victims had received far less attention despite being abducted on the same day as the Oyo pupils.

“These children were kidnapped on the same day, yet nobody is talking about those taken from Mussa or the recent Lassa school abduction. We deserve an explanation,” he said.

He called on residents to continue supporting security agencies and urged the government to provide troops with the equipment needed to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.

Meanwhile, Parents and families of the abducted have appealed to the federal government to intensify efforts to rescue their children, saying they feel abandoned two months after the incident.

Their appeal comes barely 48 hours after security forces rescued teachers and pupils abducted from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The abductions in both Borno and Oyo occurred on May 15, 2026.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the families said they have received no contact or information about the whereabouts of their loved ones.

Report quoted the chairman of the parents’ committee, Mr Ishaku Suya, as saying on Sunday, that the community has remained in mourning and anxiety since the abduction.

He said the only government official who visited the families was the Borno State Commissioner for Education, who assured them that efforts were being made to rescue the victims.

“Since then, we have not heard anything again. We were happy to hear that the Oyo pupils and teachers were rescued, but our own children have been forgotten,” he said.

Suya appealed to the federal government to deploy the same commitment shown in the Oyo rescue operation to secure the release of the abducted Borno pupils.

“We are Nigerians too. We are asking the government to show the same commitment and urgency in rescuing our children,” he said.

One of the parents, Sale Buba, said the uncertainty over the fate of the children has left families traumatised.

“We do not know where our children are or the condition they are in. While efforts were made to rescue the Oyo victims, nobody seems to be talking about ours,” he said.

Another parent, Ishaku Joe, said the silence surrounding the Borno abduction had deepened the pain of the affected families.

“We don’t know whether they are alive, whether they are eating or what they are going through in the bush. We feel neglected,” she said.

Another parent, Mr James, said it was painful that they felt abandoned by the government despite its responsibility to protect all citizens.

Kylian Mbappe has significantly boosted his chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or despite strong competition from the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi.

The France captain has been electric at this World Cup, scoring eight goals in six games.

He was once again pivotal as France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals, opening the scoring after missing a first-half penalty.

Mbappe’s performances have seen him climb to the top of the Ballon d’Or power rankings, overtaking his French teammate Dembélé, England and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi.

Mbappe has never won the award but came close in 2022-23, finishing third behind Erling Haaland and eventual winner Messi.

According to Polymarket, he now leads with a 28% chance of winning, ahead of Harry Kane (25.4%), Ousmane Dembélé (15%), and Lionel Messi (13%).

Kylian Mbappé has surpassed Harry Kane for 1st place in the Ballon d’Or rankings on Polymarket:

28% – Mbappé
25% – Kane
15% – Dembélé
13% – Messi