Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, located in the Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
During the operation, the agency rescued 106 youths and arrested the alleged proprietor of the institution, who is accused of luring prospective students with promises of admission into a foreign university.
The raid, carried out on Monday after days of intelligence gathering and surveillance, exposed an operation allegedly posing online as a distance-learning centre linked to a foreign institution despite lacking a registered name, signboard or recognised campus.
Badagry Area Commander of the NSCDC, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the operation followed credible intelligence about suspicious activities at the apartment.
According to him, the suspect is assisting investigators, while the rescued youths have been placed under protective custody pending further inquiries.
Preliminary findings revealed that most of the victims, aged between 19 and 24, were recruited from states including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states, while others travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after responding to online advertisements.
Investigators alleged that victims paid admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million, while some foreign applicants reportedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into an overseas university.
The NSCDC also discovered that participants were allegedly encouraged to recruit new students in exchange for commissions, a structure investigators said resembled a Ponzi or multi-level marketing scheme.
One of the rescued youths reportedly admitted paying $400 to join the programme before convincing his brother in Kogi State to enrol, earning referral commissions in the process.
Investigators further found that some participants promoted unidentified products online, receiving commissions from product sales as well as recruitment activities.
Ekunola expressed concern that many parents were unaware of their children’s actual activities in Badagry, noting that one parent believed her child had travelled to learn a vocational trade rather than attend a university.
He said all 106 rescued individuals would be profiled before being reunited with their families after investigations are concluded.
The NSCDC said those found responsible for operating the suspected illegal institution would face prosecution, adding that investigations have been expanded to identify other collaborators and determine whether similar operations exist elsewhere in Nigeria.
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