Activist Mahdi Shehu urges probe to begin at the presidency — “no sacred cows” as faiths and law demand justice
An X user, Mahdi Shehu, has thrown down the gauntlet to the Federal Government’s recently announced drive to tackle certificate forgery — praising the initiative but warning that meaningful action will require courage, comprehensiveness and no tolerance for protectionism.
Posting on his official X handle, Shehu described the government’s move as “commendable” but added two stark caveats in block capitals: “EASIER SAID THAN DONE” and “CHALLENGE TO SELF.” He reminded readers that forgery is a criminal offence “in all decent societies” and laid out a blunt roadmap for authorities who mean business.
Shehu’s six-point litmus test for a credible probe
Shehu’s public checklist reads like a prosecutorial brief — short, ruthless and aimed at preventing a half-hearted exercise:
1. Start from head to toe, not toe to head. The operation must begin at the very top — the presidency and those serving in and around it — then sweep outward.
2. Search inward: homes, offices, every seat of power. No corner of the executive, legislative or judicial arms should be exempt.
3. Sweep the security architecture. All security agencies must be examined without fear or favour.
4. Probe the legislature and judiciary next. The lawmaking and law-interpreting institutions should be included in the sweep.
5. Include constitutional financial bodies — starting with the CBN. All financial institutions created by the Constitution or by Acts of the National Assembly must be subject to scrutiny.
6. Only then move to the private sector. If public sector accountability is genuine and complete, attention can extend to private actors.
Shehu argues that any credible anti-forgery campaign must be universal in scope. “If they have the courage to do that and publish names of the already known and unknown forgers,” he wrote, “then they can extend to the private sector.” He invoked the longstanding legal and moral maxim that “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.”
Moral and religious backing for the purge
To underscore his point, Shehu cited both scripture and scripture-like injunctions:
Biblical authority: Psalm 98:9 — “Before the LORD; for he come to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.”
Quranic injunction: Al-Nisa 4:135 — “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives…”
By invoking both texts, Shehu framed the fight against forgery as not only legal but moral — a duty across faiths and society.
A warning and a taunt
Shehu closed with a stinging barb at half-measures: if the federal government lacks the “liver, spleen and pancreas” — his metaphor for the courage and internal resolve needed — then he advised they should continue their “self-deceptive ostrich voyage” instead of pretending to pursue justice.
Why this matters
Certificate forgery corrodes institutional trust: inflated credentials can place unqualified people in sensitive roles across government, security and finance. Shehu’s prescription is simple and unforgiving — either the state investigates everyone, beginning at the very top, or it admits the exercise is cosmetic.
The question now
Will the FG back its announcement with an investigation that spares no one — including those in the highest offices — or will the drive be allowed to peter out into selective, headline-driven enforcement? For many Nigerians, the answer to that question will show whether the government truly intends to restore integrity to public life — or merely signal reform.
PIONEER NEWS 