The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has dismissed allegations that former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, deliberately continued to receive government salary after leaving office, insisting available documents show he reported the payments and initiated a refund.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group described the allegation as “nonsense borne out of ignorance,” arguing that it ignored documentary evidence indicating that Nnaji alerted the Federal Government after discovering that salary payments had continued following his resignation.
HURIWA said the former minister, who resigned on October 7, 2025, wrote to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) after noticing the continued payments, requesting the computation of the amount involved and the appropriate government account for a refund.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko
According to the organisation, Nnaji stated in his correspondence: “I respectfully request that the relevant office(s) provide the appropriate instructions, computation, and designated government account details to facilitate a full refund of all payments made in error after my resignation from office.”
The rights group added that the former minister also instructed Fidelity Bank Plc on June 25, 2026, to debit his account and remit the funds to the Federal Government through the Remita platform under the Office of the SGF, with the transaction described as a refund of salary paid after his resignation.
It argued that the documents raised questions about how Nnaji could be accused of deliberately receiving the funds after notifying the authorities and taking steps to return the money.
Rather than blame the former minister, HURIWA urged anti-graft agencies to investigate the government’s payroll system and determine why his profile remained active after he had left office.
The organisation also claimed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had previously looked into the matter and did not establish that Nnaji orchestrated or was responsible for the continued salary payments.
While reaffirming its support for accountability, HURIWA cautioned against what it described as attempts to politicise corruption allegations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It urged the ICPC to conduct an impartial investigation, identify any officials responsible for lapses in the payroll system and ensure the issue was not exploited for partisan political purposes.
HEDA petitions ICPC over alleged continued salary payment to former minister Geoffrey Nnaji
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) had earlier submitted a supplementary petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging the Commission to expand its ongoing investigation into former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, to include alleged salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, payroll manipulation, and possible conspiracy involving public officials.
The petition, signed by HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju addressed to the commission, follows an earlier petition dated 17 October 2025 concerning allegations of certificate forgery, perjury, and presentation of false academic credentials by Mr. Nnaji. HEDA stated that new information obtained from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) indicates that Mr. Nnaji may have continued to receive government salary payments months after his removal from office.
According to the petition submitted to the ICPC, payroll records obtained from IPPIS for June 2026 allegedly showed that Mr. Nnaji remained listed under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) as “Hon. Minister” and received a net payment of ₦170,282.61 for the month. The document referenced in the petition also reportedly indicated cumulative earnings of ₦5,845,601.13 recorded on the system.
The group expressed concern that if verified, the continued payment of public funds to an individual no longer occupying the office raises serious questions about weaknesses in government payroll management systems and possible breaches of public service accountability standards.
“We are concerned that a public official who has left office could allegedly remain active on the government payroll system for several months. Beyond the individual involved, this raises questions about the accountability of officials responsible for maintaining and supervising government payroll records,” He added.
In its supplementary petition, Suraju urged the ICPC to expand the scope of its investigation and consider additional offences relating to alleged salary fraud, unlawful enrichment, payroll manipulation, and possible collaboration with officials responsible for maintaining payroll records.
