Two years after the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) officially clarified the circumstances surrounding the service record and certificate of Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the issue has resurfaced following a new report by Sahara Reporters.
On August 9, 2023, investigative newspaper Premium Times published NYSC’s written response to its Freedom of Information (FOI) request on Tunji-Ojo’s service history. The letter, dated August 8, 2023, was signed by Fasakin B. A. (Mrs) on behalf of the NYSC Director-General and addressed to the Editor-in-Chief of Premium Times.
In the document, the NYSC confirmed that Mr Tunji-Ojo was first mobilised for national service in 2006 and deployed to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but later absconded from service. The letter went on to state that he later resurfaced in 2019 and was remobilised, again deployed to the FCT, and posted to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for his primary assignment.
“During the passing out, his Certificate of National Service was not available because it was omitted in the Certificate Printing Application,” the NYSC said in paragraph three of the letter.
“He applied for his Certificate of National Service through the State Coordinator FCT on 18th October, 2022 … and his Certificate of National Service No. A004523631 was produced on 28th February, 2023 for collection,” the letter concluded.
The NYSC’s correspondence therefore provided a formal explanation for the delay in issuing Tunji-Ojo’s discharge certificate, stating that it was an administrative omission rather than an act of forgery or manipulation.
The Premium Times report that followed the next day cited this official clarification and noted that, while the circumstances were unusual, the NYSC had verified the authenticity of the certificate issued to Tunji-Ojo earlier that year.
However, on October 22, 2025, Sahara Reporters published a story suggesting that new controversy had emerged around the same certificate. The outlet referenced petitions by civil society groups calling for an investigation into what they described as “irregularities” in the minister’s NYSC records. The article reignited debate on social media, with some users assuming the allegations were new or previously undisclosed.
Checks by Okay News show that the NYSC’s August 2023 letter remains the last official communication on the matter.
Neither the NYSC, the Ministry of Interior, nor Mr Tunji-Ojo has issued any fresh statement addressing the renewed claims.
The NYSC’s 2023 explanation appeared to have closed the matter at the time, especially after Tunji-Ojo was cleared by the Senate and subsequently appointed Minister of Interior.
The agency’s letter, reproduced by Premium Times, forms part of the official record confirming his eventual completion of national service.
While renewed public scrutiny of public officials is legitimate, analysts say distinguishing between new developments and old issues being re-amplified is vital for accurate reporting.
In this case, the NYSC’s 2023 correspondence already detailed the minister’s service timeline, leaving little ambiguity about when and how his certificate was issued.
