A coalition of lawyers and public interest analysts has urged the federal government to ensure the swift prosecution of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Uche Nnaji over alleged certificate forgery, insisting his resignation should not shield him from criminal liability.

The group also called for the recovery of all salaries, allowances and benefits Nnaji received as minister, arguing that if the allegations were proven, he had occupied the office under false pretence by presenting forged academic and youth service credentials. In a statement signed by Liborous Oshoma, the lawyers commended the anti-corruption commission for arresting him but criticised the slow pace of investigation.

They said the disparity between how quickly ordinary Nigerians were prosecuted and the treatment of politically exposed persons posed a serious threat to justice, and warned President Tinubu against allowing the case to be swept under the carpet.

The lawyers recalled a media investigation alleging that although Nnaji was admitted to study at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in the 1981/82 session, he did not graduate after failing a compulsory course, and that correspondence between him and the university contradicted the existence of a degree certificate dated July 1985 later submitted during his ministerial screening.

They also questioned his youth service discharge certificate, alleging inconsistencies in the service dates and a signature purportedly belonging to an official who did not head the scheme until 1988. The group demanded that the case be pursued to its conclusion and that his emoluments from 2023 until his resignation in October 2025 be recovered.