A law firm, YAS Law Firm, has petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), calling for a comprehensive investigation into allegations of document falsification and forgery involving the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle.
In a petition dated July 2, 2026, and signed by Aliyu Y. Salihu Esq., the firm urged the anti-corruption agency to investigate Matawalle’s educational qualifications and prosecute him if the allegations are substantiated.
According to the petition, Matawalle allegedly submitted a National Examination Council (NECO) Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Internal Result dated June 2018 as part of his nomination documents filed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2023 general election.
The petition questions whether the minister was qualified to sit for the NECO SSCE Internal examination, arguing that the examination is designed exclusively for students in their final year of secondary school.
The petition cites NECO’s registration guidelines, which state that the SSCE Internal examination is conducted through registered secondary schools for final-year students. It notes that candidates are required to possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN), undergo biometric capture, submit passport photographs in school uniform, and be officially registered by their schools.
The law firm argues that these requirements raise questions about how Matawalle, who had previously served as a member of the House of Representatives and remained an active politician, allegedly registered for the June 2018 examination.
The petition identifies the certificate in question with the following details; Centre Number: 0140300; Centre Name: Universal Academy, Kaduna; Registration Number: 82806975CC; Candidate Name: Bello Mohammed Matawalle; State: Zamfara
The petition further states that Matawalle had previously relied on a 1985 statement of result issued by the Ministry of Education, Sokoto State, Division of Science and Technical Education, Vocational Training Centre, Bunza, in previous elections, including contests for Local Government Chairman, House of Representatives, Senate, and Governor.
According to the law firm, a letter from the Federal Ministry of Education, dated December 28, 2018, reportedly stated that the vocational training certificate could not be evaluated because it was not equivalent to a Senior School Certificate issued by WAEC or NECO.
Based on this, the petition argues that questions remain regarding whether Matawalle satisfied the constitutional educational qualification required for elective offices under Sections 65(2) and 177(d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which require candidates to have been educated up to at least school certificate level or its equivalent.
YAS Law Firm urged the ICPC to investigate the allegations thoroughly, including; The authenticity of the alleged 2018 NECO SSCE certificate; Whether any documents submitted to INEC were falsified; Whether Matawalle attended Yaba College of Technology, as stated in his INEC forms, noting that no course of study or period of attendance was indicated.
The petition said it enclosed copies of Matawalle’s 1985 vocational training statement of result, the Federal Ministry of Education’s evaluation letter, the 2018 NECO certificate, and certified copies of relevant INEC nomination forms to assist investigators.
The law firm maintained that public office holders should be held accountable and urged the ICPC to prosecute anyone found to have committed criminal offences in order to strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
