Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Badagry Area Command, have uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
The operation also led to the rescue of 106 youths and the arrest of the alleged proprietor, who is accused of luring prospective students with promises of admission into a foreign university.
According to the NSCDC, the raid was carried out in the early hours of Monday after several days of intelligence gathering and surveillance. The agency said the institution had no official name, registration, signboard or recognised campus but allegedly operated online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university.
Badagry Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the operation followed credible intelligence on the activities at the apartment.
“We received reliable intelligence regarding the activities at the location. Our operatives kept the premises under surveillance for several days before carrying out the operation. The proprietor has been arrested and is assisting with our investigation, while the students have been placed under protective custody,” he said.
Preliminary investigations showed that most of the rescued youths, aged between 19 and 24, were recruited from states including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states. Others reportedly travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited through online platforms.
The corps alleged 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 higher institution.
Investigators also discovered that participants were allegedly required to recruit new students in exchange for commissions. According to the NSCDC, the recruitment model resembled a Ponzi or chain-marketing scheme, with earnings tied to the number of new recruits brought into the programme.
One of the rescued individuals reportedly told investigators that after paying $400 to enrol, he convinced his brother in Kogi State to join the scheme and had already begun receiving referral commissions.
The investigation further revealed that some participants were allegedly engaged in promoting unidentified products online while earning commissions from both product sales and recruitment.
Expressing concern over the development, Ekunola said many parents were unaware of their children’s actual activities in Badagry.
“We have begun contacting their families. One parent told us her child had informed the family that he travelled to Badagry to learn a trade, not to attend a university. That clearly shows many parents had no idea what was really going on,” he said.
He added that all 106 rescued youths would be profiled before being reunited with their families after investigations are concluded.
The NSCDC said anyone found culpable in operating the suspected illegal institution would be prosecuted in accordance with the law. It added that investigations have been expanded to identify other collaborators and determine whether similar operations exist in other parts of the country.