Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu Faces Intense Scrutiny Over Alleged Overlap Between Law School Enrollment and NYSC Service

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu faces allegations of simultaneous NYSC service and Law School enrollment, sparking a probe by the LPDC and NYSC.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 11:01 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from THISDAY

The Timeline Contradiction

The controversy surrounding Hon. Benjamin Kalu hinges on a specific chronological overlap discovered in his professional records. In April 2010, Kalu (then known as Benjamin Okezie Osisiogu) applied to the Nigerian Law School, swearing an oath that he would not engage in any employment or NYSC service during his course of study. However, his NYSC discharge certificate (No. A001773067) indicates he completed his service from March 9, 2010, to March 8, 2011. This reveals that his service year began just two weeks before his Law School application and concluded as he was finishing his legal studies—a feat of "being in two places at once" that critics argue is physically and legally impossible under current Nigerian educational standards.

Legal and Civic Pressure Mounts

The issue was brought to the forefront by John Aikpokpo-Martins, former First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who filed a petition with the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and the NYSC. The movement has since been bolstered by the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), who have called for an independent probe into the validity of Kalu’s enrollment as a legal practitioner. While some Igbo youth groups have defended the Deputy Speaker, the documentation provided in the petitions has created a "raging issue" that currently dominates the Nigerian political landscape.

The Deputy Speaker’s Defense

In response to the allegations, Kalu’s office issued a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu. Avoiding his typical combative tone, Nwabughiogu argued that the claims are "unproven" and arise from "speculative" narratives. Kalu maintains that he is a duly qualified legal practitioner, having been called to the Nigerian Bar in September 2011 and enrolled in the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He emphasized that his credentials have passed through multiple stages of verification throughout his career and urged the public to wait for the statutory bodies to conclude their investigations rather than engaging in a "trial by media."