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Former speaker to face prosecution

    ABIDJAN

    The former speaker of Nigeria's lower house, Salisu Buhari, will face prosecution after admitting to forgery and perjury, news organisations reported on Tuesday.

    The Justice Minister, Kanu Godwin Agabi, told journalists in Abuja that Buhari would be charged after police investigations. "We must obey the law," Agabi said. "I'm of the considered view that in the best interest of the nation and Buhari, it will be justified to have him charged in court."

    Buhari resigned as speaker of the House of Representatives last week after owning up to accusations by a weekly news magazine that he had lied about his age and academic qualifications to hold the post.

    He admitted that he was only 29, not 36 as he had said, and that he did not have a degree from the University of Toronto in Canada, 'The Guardian' reported.

    The position of speaker is fourth in Nigeria's constitutional hierarchy after the president, vice president and speaker of the senate, news reports said.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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