By The Newspointer, Abuja | November 10, 2025
The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, and other officials have urged the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to strike out a suit filed by former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over alleged certificate forgery.
In a preliminary objection, the university and its officials asked Justice Hauwa Yilwa to dismiss the matter on the grounds that it was statute-barred, incompetent, and wrongly commenced.
Nnaji had approached the court seeking an order to restrain UNN from tampering with his academic records and to compel the institution to release his transcript. He also asked the Minister of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to exercise supervisory powers to ensure compliance.
However, UNN, through its counsel, argued that the suit was filed outside the three-month window stipulated by Order 34 Rule 4(1) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, and the Public Officers Protection Act, 2004—thereby stripping the court of jurisdiction.
The defendants further contended that Nnaji’s substantive motion for prerogative orders was wrongly brought by a motion on notice instead of an originating motion as required by law, describing it as “premature and speculative.”
They also argued that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain issues concerning academic records, examinations, and transcripts, stressing that the plaintiff had not exhausted internal remedies available within the university.
Counsel to the former minister, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), told the court that they were served with the defendants’ preliminary objection only on Monday morning, and requested a new date for hearing.
Justice Yilwa adjourned the case to January 13, 2026, for hearing and ordered that hearing notices be issued to all parties not present in court.
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Neither the Minister of Education nor the NUC was represented during the proceedings.
