The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, and others, on Monday, urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to strike out a suit filed by a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
The university and its officials, in a preliminary objection, asked Justice Hauwa Yilwa to strike out the suit on the grounds that it was statute barred.
They also urged the court to strike out the motion on notice for prerogative writs, describing it as incompetent and wrongly commenced.
Nnaji had filed the suit following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.
In an ex parte motion, the former minister 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, among other reliefs.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1909/2025, Nnaji listed the Minister of Education, the National Universities Commission, UNN, and Prof. Ortuanya as the first to fourth respondents.
He also joined the Registrar of UNN, a former Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oguenjiofor Ujam, and the Senate of the university as the fifth to seventh respondents, respectively.
Nnaji sought leave to issue a prerogative writ of mandamus compelling the university and its officials to release his academic transcript to him.
He also asked the Minister of Education and the NUC to exercise their supervisory powers to compel UNN to do so.
Additionally, he sought an interim injunction restraining UNN and its officials from tampering with his academic records pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The third, fourth, and sixth defendants — UNN, its Vice-Chancellor, and former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oguenjiofor Ujam — in their preliminary objection, asked the court to strike out the suit for want of jurisdiction.
They also sought an order awarding substantial costs in their favour.
In a nine-ground argument, they contended that the ex-parte motion for leave was not filed within three months of the occurrence of the subject matter.
The PUNCH
