Abuja (Nigeria): A hearing in a suit filed by the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, against the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and others was stalled on Monday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The proceeding in the case, instituted by Nnaji over a controversy about his university certificate, could not proceed before Justice Hauwa Yilwa due to the inability of the lawyer to the UNN and its officers to file their responses.
Justice Yilwa consequently adjourned the matter until Nov. 10 for a hearing.
Nnaji had filed the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.
The applicant sued the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), UNN and its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, as 1st to 4th respondents.
He also joined the Registrar of UNN, a former acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oguenjiofor Ujam, and the Senate of the university as the 5th to 7th respondents, respectively.
Nnaji, in an ex parte motion, had sought an order granting him leave to issue prerogative writs prohibiting the university and its officials from “tampering with” or continuing to “tamper with” his academic records.
He also sought leave to issue a prerogative writ of mandamus compelling the university and its officials to release his academic transcript to him, and asked the Minister of Education and the NUC to exercise their supervisory powers to compel UNN to do so.
He equally sought an interim injunction restraining UNN and its officials from “tampering” with his academic records pending the determination of the substantive suit, among others.
The judge had, on Sept. 22, granted three of the reliefs sought by Nnaji but declined to issue any injunctive order against the respondents, before adjourning the matter until Oct. 6 for further hearing.
Meanwhile, when the matter was called on Monday, Nnaji was represented by Sebastine Hon, SAN, while E.M. Asogwa appeared for the 3rd to 7th respondents (UNN and its officers).
However, no lawyer appeared for either the Minister of Education or NUC (1st and 2nd respondents).
Hon, therefore, told the court that all the parties in the suit had been served.
The senior lawyer told the court that although the 3rd to 7th respondents were served on Sept. 29, he alleged that the 4th respondent (Prof. Ortuanya) wrote an official letter to PREMIUM TIMES, an online newspaper, on Oct. 2, a few days after being served, claiming that Nnaji was not a graduate of the university.
Hon said the “newspaper subsequently published a damaging statement against the applicant (Nnaji) on Oct. 4, titled: ‘Investigation: The serial certificate forger in President Tinubu’s cabinet.”
He argued that even though the court had refused some of the applicant’s prayers, the respondents failed to maintain the status quo after being served.
He said they went ahead and published a damaging statement against the applicant, contrary to the court’s rule that once leave is granted, all parties must refrain from taking further action.
Hon, therefore, informed the court that the applicant would file further processes regarding the development.
However, Asogwa told the court that while he would not give credibility to Hon’s claims, they would properly “advise their clients to maintain the status quo pending the substantive hearing.”
He also told the court that the 3rd to 7th respondents were still within time to file their responses.
Justice Yilwa then adjourned the matter until Nov. 10 for a hearing.