However, this only lasted for six weeks before the University of Toronto scandal broke, ultimately leading to his resignation and prosecution.

Buhari had also claimed that he completed his National Youth Service at Standard Construction in Kano.

When Buhari was confronted with multiple allegations of fraud, he denied them as attacks on him and threatened to file a libel lawsuit against the publisher.

The magazine, however, wrote to the University of Toronto, requesting confirmation that Buhari was an alumnus, who denied having any record of his attendance.

On 23 July 1999, disgraced and cornered, Buhari admitted to falsifying his age and forging certificates as well as other allegations from the TheNews report, saying in a statement: I apologize to you.