By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Editor-in-Chief and Chief Operating Officer of Premium Times, Musikilu Mojeed, has shared details on how the investigative newsroom uncovered the alleged academic certificate fraud involving former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Tuesday night, Mojeed explained that the publication’s probe began two years ago after a whistleblower alerted them to inconsistencies in Nnaji’s academic records.
“A whistleblower had written to us via email to raise concern and alert us about some discrepancies in the minister’s claim,” Mojeed explained. “The whistleblower appealed to us to investigate, saying they did not know the person but were confident that if we did a diligent investigation, we would uncover something shocking. We took up the challenge and started working on it since 2023.”
According to him, the Premium Times team immediately mobilized reporters to Abuja and Enugu to verify the claims.
“We first wrote to the NYSC on September 23, 2023,” he said. “We had no problem with the minister; we did not know him. Our strength is investigation — everybody knows Premium Times for that. When a matter is brought before us, we investigate. Sometimes we find things that are indicting; sometimes we don’t. But it is our job as journalists, as required of us by the constitution, to hold power accountable, which is what we have done here.”
Mojeed also reacted to allegations made by Nnaji’s spokesperson, Robert Ngu, who accused the newspaper of accepting a ₦100 million bribe from the Enugu State Government to publish the report.
“Robert Ngu accused us of receiving ₦100 million from the Enugu government,” Mojeed said. “Of course, he is going to prove that in court. We are not a newspaper that you can unduly malign. We have built our integrity for close to 15 years, done a lot of great stories, and no one has ever accused us of such.”
The controversy follows Nnaji’s resignation on Tuesday amid growing scrutiny over his academic credentials from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate.
Despite stepping down, the former minister denied any wrongdoing, insisting that his decision was guided by principle and not an admission of guilt.
“My decision to step aside is therefore a personal choice — not an admission of guilt, but rather a principled decision to respect the sanctity of due process and to preserve the integrity of the judicial proceedings currently before the court,” he said. “In the end, justice will prevail, and history will vindicate the just.”
Reports, however, suggest that UNN has been unable to verify Nnaji’s academic records, further fueling the controversy.
Nnaji described the allegations as politically motivated, claiming that a coordinated campaign had been launched to tarnish his image.
“Over the past week, an orchestrated and sustained campaign of falsehood, politically motivated and malicious attacks have been waged against my person, integrity, and office across print, electronic, and social media platforms,” Nnaji stated. “These unfounded allegations and media distortions have not only caused personal distress but have also begun to distract from the vital work of the Ministry and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.”
Appointed as minister in August 2023, Nnaji expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to serve.
President Tinubu has since accepted his resignation. In a statement issued by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, the President thanked the former minister for his service and wished him success in his future endeavours.