Officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Badagry Area Command have shut down a fraudulent university running out of a small three-bedroom home in Ilado, Lagos State. The raid, executed early Monday following a period of surveillance, resulted in the rescue of 106 young people and the arrest of the alleged operator.
This individual supposedly lured students from various Nigerian states and neighboring West African nations, including Togo, Niger, and Cameroon, by guaranteeing them placement in a foreign higher institution. The organization operated without any formal accreditation, campus, or official name, relying instead on a website to pose as a legitimate distance-learning center.
Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, the Badagry Area Commander, explained that the operation functioned similarly to a Ponzi scheme. Students were required to pay hefty fees ranging from N200,000 to N1.5 million, or up to $500 for foreign citizens. Furthermore, victims were encouraged to recruit others to earn financial commissions, a model that turned the students into part of a marketing network.
Evidence gathered during the investigation indicates that some participants were also involved in promoting mysterious products online for commissions. Many of the rescued youths, aged between 19 and 24, claimed they were misled, and authorities discovered that several parents believed their children were in Badagry for legitimate vocational training.
The NSCDC is currently profiling all 106 victims to facilitate their return to their families. Meanwhile, officials are expanding the probe to track down potential collaborators and determine if similar illicit operations exist elsewhere in the country. The proprietor remains in custody as the investigation continues.
