The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a suspected fake distance-learning centre in Lagos State that allegedly posed as an affiliate of a foreign university and rescued 106 students believed to have been deceived into enrolling.
The security agency also arrested the alleged proprietor of the centre, accusing him of luring young Nigerians and nationals of neighbouring West African countries with promises of admission into a foreign university. According to the NSCDC, the institution operated from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
The discovery followed an early morning operation on Monday by operatives of the NSCDC Badagry Area Command after days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance. Investigators said the centre had no official name, registration, recognised campus or signboard but advertised itself online as a distance-learning institution affiliated with a foreign university.
Badagry Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said security operatives acted on credible intelligence before arresting the proprietor, who is now assisting investigators, while the students were placed under protective custody.
The rescued students, most of whom are between 19 and 24 years old, reportedly came from states including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states. Others travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after allegedly being recruited online.
Preliminary investigations revealed that victims paid admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million, while some foreign nationals reportedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into a foreign tertiary institution.
Investigators also alleged that the scheme required participants to recruit new students in exchange for commissions, operating like a Ponzi or chain-marketing scheme where financial rewards increased with each successful referral.
One victim reportedly told investigators that after paying $400, he convinced his brother in Kogi State to enrol and had already started earning referral commissions. Authorities also discovered that some participants promoted unidentified products online and received commissions from product sales and recruitment.
Ekunola said the NSCDC has begun contacting the families of the rescued students, noting that many parents were unaware of their children’s actual activities in Badagry. He disclosed that one parent believed her child had travelled to learn a trade rather than attend a university.
He added that the rescued youths would be profiled before being reunited with their families, while anyone found culpable in operating the alleged fake institution would face prosecution.
The NSCDC said it has expanded investigations to identify other members of the network, uncover possible collaborators and determine whether similar operations exist elsewhere in the country.
The latest discovery comes amid growing concerns over illegal degree-awarding institutions in Nigeria. The National Universities Commission had earlier published a list of 58 illegal universities and warned prospective students and parents against patronising unapproved institutions, stressing that certificates obtained from such schools may not be officially recognised.
