Following SaharaReporters’ recent expose on a certificate racketeering scandal at Lagos State University (LASU), the Lagos State House of Assembly has taken action, inviting key figures, including the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Akibu, and the university’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, for a discussion on the matter.
In the report published by SaharaReporters, it was revealed that a sting operation conducted in 2020-2021, led by the university’s management at the time in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), uncovered a syndicate involved in certificate racketeering within the institution. The operation utilized body cameras and other surveillance techniques, leading to the arrest and questioning of some staff members implicated in the racketeering.
The report exposed the existence of a syndicate with access to legitimate LASU certificates, which they allegedly sold for sums ranging from N2 million to N3 million, contingent on the complexity of the course. To acquire these falsified certificates, clients were required to provide a payment and their O-level certificates. The syndicate had members in the university’s ICT department who manipulated the school’s server to insert the fabricated information, creating an illusion of authenticity.
At a session on Tuesday, the Lagos State House of Assembly deemed the issue a “matter of urgent public importance” and decided to summon not only the Commissioner for Tertiary Education and the vice-chancellor but also the school’s Senate and workers in its Information and Communications Technology unit.
The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, who is an alumnus of LASU, expressed his concern about the potential damage to the university’s reputation.
During the sting operation, payments were made to individuals named Daniel Amos and Akindele Qudus Tunde for two fraudulent degrees. One such case involved a charge of N2 million for an Industrial Relations and Personnel Management degree. Within three days, the profile of the client, Adewoye Michael, with a newly generated matric number and fake academic records from Year 1 to final year, was uploaded onto the university’s server.
For another client, Okowi Cosmos, who pursued a degree in Business Administration, the bill amounted to N3 million due to the course’s technical complexity.
In response to the revelations, the LASU administration has denied any cover-up. Mrs. Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile, Coordinator of the LASU Centre for Information and Public Relations, explained that the university uncovered incidents of admission racketeering in 2020, leading to an investigation conducted in collaboration with a private agent. The DSS and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice are currently reviewing the case, with the university cooperating fully.
The institution emphasized that it is not involved in any cover-up and remains committed to supporting the ongoing investigations.
