Former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was on Wednesday arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, according to security sources.
The sources said 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 arrest at the request of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which is investigating the former minister over allegations of misconduct.
The sources added that Nnaji was subsequently handed over to the anti-graft agency for further investigation.
“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.
Another source disclosed that the ICPC had previously invited the former minister on several occasions over petitions alleging irregularities in the management of the Ministry of Science and Technology during his tenure.
“The commission 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 said.
Nnaji resigned as Minister of Science and Technology in October 2025 under circumstances that attracted public attention.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the DSS nor the ICPC had issued an official statement on the arrest, while Nnaji had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the ICPC were unsuccessful, as calls to the commission’s spokesperson, John Odeh, were not answered as of the time of filing.
