PREMIUM TIMES has vowed to take legal action against Robert Ngwu, spokesperson for former Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, over what it calls a false and defamatory bribery allegation.
Ngwu, during an appearance on Channels Television on Tuesday, accused the newspaper of receiving a ₦100 million bribe from the Enugu State Government to run an investigative report exposing the former minister’s alleged certificate forgery.
However, Musikilu Mojeed, Editor-in-Chief and Chief Operating Officer of PREMIUM TIMES, has strongly denied the claim, describing it as a desperate attempt to discredit credible journalism.
“We are not a newspaper that anyone can malign. We have built our integrity for close to 15 years,” Mojeed said on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
“Our work is grounded in truth and accountability. Neither Robert Ngwu nor Uche Nnaji can destroy that.”
Mojeed said the newspaper’s legal team had begun reviewing Ngwu’s comments and would demand he prove the allegation in court.
“He will have to present evidence of how the money was given, who received it, and when. We won’t let this slide,” he said.
During the Channels TV segment, Ngwu admitted he had no concrete evidence to support his claim.
When pressed repeatedly by anchors Kayode Okikiolu and Bukola Coker, Ngwu resorted to vague claims and phrases like “allegedly paid” and “we have our sources.”
Asked directly who paid the alleged bribe, Ngwu named the Enugu State Government but failed to provide documentation, saying only that he received verbal confirmation.
The Enugu State Government has since denied any involvement in PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation.
The bribery allegation surfaced just days after PREMIUM TIMES published a two-year investigation revealing that Mr. Nnaji forged both his university degree and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate, credentials he used to gain ministerial appointment in 2023.
The report showed that, at the time Nnaji claimed to have graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), he was still corresponding with the school about a failed terminal course.
This investigative work ultimately led to Nnaji’s resignation from office on Tuesday evening.
“We were tipped off by a whistleblower in 2023,” Mojeed said.
“Our team in Enugu and Abuja followed up, filing FOI requests and digging through records. It was slow, and at one point, UNN ignored our FOI request. But we persisted.”
A breakthrough came when UNN’s new leadership in August 2025 officially confirmed the institution had never issued Nnaji a degree.
“Just today, the university registrar affirmed it again,” Mojeed said during the TV interview.
Following the report, PREMIUM TIMES published further evidence, including letters from Nnaji himself contradicting his graduation claims.
The scandal has sparked national outrage, with many Nigerians demanding tighter scrutiny of public office appointments.
Nnaji’s camp, however, chose to deflect with unsubstantiated counterclaims.
At a press conference called by the ministry (which the ex-minister did not attend), aides, including Ngwu, repeated the bribery allegation without proof.
PREMIUM TIMES says it will not only pursue legal redress against Ngwu, but will also continue to report on matters of public interest without fear or favour.
“This kind of attack is designed to silence watchdog journalism,” Mojeed said.
“But it won’t work. We will continue to hold the powerful accountable.”
