The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) has urged the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Enugu State to prosecute former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, who hails from the state.
The former minister recently stepped down from his position following allegations of certificate forgery.
Nnaji is accused of falsifying a University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) degree certificate and a National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate, which he reportedly submitted to the Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), and the Department of State Services (DSS) during his appointment and confirmation process as a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s administration in August 2023.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the 9th of October, CASER’s Executive Director, Mr. Frank Tietie, said the organisation had petitioned the Enugu State Attorney General to begin immediate prosecution, noting that relevant federal bodies appeared reluctant to act.
Tietie described the delay by federal agencies to prosecute influential figures as a serious breach of responsibility that weakens citizens’ faith in the justice system and contradicts the idea that everyone is equal before the law.
He stated: “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.
“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.”
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CASER also advised that if the Enugu State Attorney General chooses not to pursue the case, he should grant private citizens the authority (fiat) to prosecute it.
Tietie presented a copy of the letter sent to the Enugu State Attorney General, dated October 6, 2025, and confirmed as received on October 7, 2025.
According to CASER, “failure to prosecute politically exposed persons sends a dangerous message that some individuals are above the law and this cannot continue if Nigeria is to strengthen democracy, uphold the Constitution, and command international respect as a nation governed by laws, not by persons.”
On Wednesday, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Alliance, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), senior lawyers, and several civil society organisations also urged that Nnaji be investigated and prosecuted, stressing that resignation does not absolve him of alleged offences of forgery and perjury.