Law firm petitions ICPC to investigate Matawalle over alleged forged NECO certificate
A legal firm, YAS Law Firm, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging it to investigate the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, over allegations of document falsification and forgery relating to a National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior Secondary School Certificate.
In a petition dated July 2, 2026, and addressed to the ICPC Chairman, the firm requested a comprehensive investigation into Matawalle's academic credentials and asked the anti-graft agency to prosecute him if found culpable.
Source: Twitter
Questions over 2018 NECO result
The petition, signed by Aliyu Y. Salihu, alleged that Matawalle submitted a June 2018 NECO SSCE Internal result to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of his nomination documents for the 2023 governorship election in Zamfara State.
According to the firm, the examination is designed exclusively for final-year secondary school students registered through their schools, raising questions about Matawalle's eligibility to sit for the examination.
The petition argued that NECO's registration guidelines require candidates to be enrolled as Senior Secondary School Three students, complete biometric registration and be registered by their schools.
Previous qualification questioned
YAS Law Firm also referred to a 2018 letter from the Federal Ministry of Education, which reportedly stated that Matawalle's 1985 Vocational Training Centre certificate was not equivalent to the school certificate required under the Constitution for elective office.
The firm contended that this raised questions about Matawalle's qualification for previous elections, including his bids for the House of Representatives and governorship.
Call for prosecution
The petition urged the ICPC to investigate the authenticity of the minister's academic records, including his claimed attendance at Yaba College of Technology, and prosecute him if any wrongdoing is established.
The law firm said the move was necessary to uphold accountability in public office and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria's democratic institutions.
Source: Legit.ng
