Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday arrested former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, over an ongoing investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Multiple security sources disclosed that Nnaji was apprehended in the early hours of Wednesday while attempting to board a private jet bound for Abuja.
According to the sources, the DSS carried out the operation following a request from the ICPC, which is investigating the former minister over allegations relating to his tenure in office.
After the arrest, Nnaji was immediately handed over to the anti-graft agency for further interrogation.
“The DSS acted on the request of the ICPC. He was arrested at the Enugu airport while preparing to board a private jet to Abuja and has since been handed over to the commission,” one of the sources said.
The sources further revealed that the ICPC had repeatedly invited the former minister to respond to petitions alleging irregularities in the management of the Ministry of Science and Technology during his tenure.
According to another source, the commission resorted to seeking the assistance of the DSS after Nnaji allegedly failed to honour several invitations.
“They had extended several invitations to him following petitions relating to the management of the ministry. When he failed to honour the invitations, the ICPC sought the assistance of the DSS to effect his arrest,” the source disclosed.
Nnaji resigned as Minister of Science and Technology in October last year under circumstances that attracted significant public attention.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the DSS nor the ICPC had issued an official statement confirming the arrest or detailing the allegations against the former minister.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the ICPC were unsuccessful, as calls to the commission’s spokesperson, John Odeh, were not answered.
The former minister had also yet to comment on the allegations or his arrest.
The exact nature of the petitions under investigation has not been disclosed by the anti-corruption agency.
