A staff member of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), has been caught on video allegedly collecting ₦16,000 in cash from newly admitted students for admission clearance, triggering outrage and prompting a Senate investigation into broader allegations of admission racketeering at the institution.
The video, which surfaced online, shows a university employee reportedly demanding payment outside the official admission process. This incident has raised fresh concerns over transparency and fairness in the admission procedures of Nigerian universities.
Reacting to the development, Senator Onyeka Peter Nwebonyi of Ebonyi North told the Senate that “unscrupulous staff of the University of Nigeria, in active connivance with some JAMB officials, are shortchanging Nigerians seeking admission into professional courses.” He cited a specific case involving Miss Chinyere Ekwe, who scored 291 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and 300 in the post-UTME, but was denied admission into Medicine and Surgery.
The university has denied any wrongdoing. UNN Vice-Chancellor Prof. Charles Igwe insisted the institution adheres strictly to the federal government’s admission policy. “We do not impose courses on candidates and do not extort or force them into other programmes. The process is transparent and based on merit,” he said.
In contrast, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede alleged that UNN had exceeded its approved quota and admitted students without official approval. “Miss Ekwe was not eligible for Medicine and Surgery based on her ranking. Any alternative admission was an arrangement between the candidate and the institution,” Oloyede stated.
The Senate has summoned the Minister of Education, the JAMB Registrar, and the UNN Vice-Chancellor to appear before its committees to explain the alleged irregularities. The matter continues to generate nationwide attention as stakeholders demand accountability.
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