LThe Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has formally called on the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Enugu State to initiate criminal prosecution against former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, following allegations of certificate forgery.
Nnaji, an indigene of Enugu State, recently resigned from office after an investigative report by Premium Times alleged that he forged a degree certificate from University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as well as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate. These documents were reportedly submitted to the Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Department of State Services for his ministerial appointment and screening in August 2023.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, CASER’s Executive Director, Frank Tietie, said the organisation had already written to the Enugu State Attorney General to immediately commence prosecution, noting that federal agencies appeared reluctant to act despite the seriousness of the allegations.
According to Tietie, the failure of federal agencies to swiftly prosecute high-profile cases like Nnaji’s erodes citizens’ trust in the justice system and weakens the principle that no individual is above the law.
“It is precisely the perceived inaction and selective enforcement by these federal agencies for reasons that are politically obvious that has compelled CASER to formally request the Honourable Attorney General of Enugu State to exercise his constitutional powers under Section 211 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to investigate and prosecute Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji for alleged acts amounting to forgery and related offences,” Tietie stated.
He explained that Section 211 empowers a State Attorney General to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person in respect of offences created by law in that state.
“This request by CASER is not politically motivated — it is a principled call for justice, deterrence, and the restoration of institutional integrity. If the federal agencies will not act because of political convenience or political correctness, then a state authority that still believes in the sanctity of law must do so,” he added.
CASER further urged the Attorney General to issue a fiat to private citizens to prosecute the case if the state is unwilling to take it up directly. Tietie displayed a copy of the letter sent to the Enugu State Attorney General, dated 6th October 2025 and acknowledged on 7th October 2025.
The group maintained that failure to prosecute politically exposed persons sends a dangerous message that some individuals are above the law, warning that such impunity undermines democracy, weakens constitutional order, and tarnishes Nigeria’s international image.
The demand for accountability is gaining momentum nationwide. On Wednesday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress, the Nigerian Bar Association, several senior lawyers, and civil society groups also called for Nnaji’s investigation and prosecution, stressing that resignation does not absolve him of alleged crimes of forgery and perjury.
Similarly, the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, insisted that Nnaji should be banned from holding public office for life to serve as a deterrent to others.
“He did not resign of his own volition. He was forced by the public, the media, and the civil society to resign. He didn’t resign as an honourable man. He actually went to court to stop the university from releasing his record. In fact, we should ban him from public office for life,” Rafsanjani said.
