THE ex-speaker of the lower house of the Nigerian parliament escaped with a fine equal to $20 dollars on Tuesday for perjury, sparking outrage from pro-democracy groups who had urged his prosecution. Ibrahim Buhari, a wealthy young politician from northern Nigeria, was forced to step down last month as speaker and resign his seat in parliament over the affair. In court last week, Buhari admitted he is just 29 years old and confirmed that a separate claim to a university degree from Toronto, Canada was fictitious. The minimum age for election in Nigeria is 30.