The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Badagry Area Command, has uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
During the operation, the command rescued 106 youths allegedly recruited into the scheme and arrested the suspected proprietor. The suspect allegedly lured victims from across Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with promises of admission into a foreign university.
The raid took place in the early hours of Monday after days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance by NSCDC operatives.
Fake institution operated from apartment
According to the NSCDC, the suspected institution had no official name, registration, signboard or recognised campus.
Instead, investigators said it presented itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university. The alleged operator reportedly used the platform to recruit unsuspecting young people seeking higher education opportunities.
Speaking after the operation, Badagry Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said credible intelligence led to the raid.
“We got reliable intelligence about the activities going on there. Our officers monitored the place for days before moving in. We have arrested the proprietor, who is assisting with our investigation, while the students have been taken into our protective custody.”
Students recruited from Nigeria and neighbouring countries
Preliminary investigations showed that most of the rescued youths were between 19 and 24 years old.
The students came from several Nigerian states, including Kogi, Oyo and some northern states. In addition, others reportedly travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after responding to online recruitment campaigns.
Investigators also found that the victims paid admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million. Meanwhile, some foreign nationals reportedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into a foreign tertiary institution.
Investigators uncover referral scheme
The NSCDC said the admission offer came with another condition. Participants allegedly had to recruit more students in exchange for commissions.
According to investigators, the operation resembled a Ponzi or chain-marketing scheme. Participants allegedly earned higher financial rewards as they brought in more recruits.
One of the rescued students reportedly told investigators that he paid $400 to join the programme. He later convinced his brother in Kogi State to enrol and had already started receiving referral commissions.
Online product promotion also uncovered
Investigators uncovered another aspect of the operation during the raid.
According to the NSCDC, some participants allegedly promoted unidentified products online while earning commissions from product sales and additional recruitment. Investigators are working to determine the full extent of those activities.
Parents unaware of children’s activities
Ekunola expressed concern that many parents did not know why their children travelled to Badagry.
He said the command had started contacting the families of the rescued youths. According to him, one parent revealed that her child claimed to have travelled to Badagry to learn a trade rather than attend a university.
The area commander said the revelation showed that many parents were completely unaware of the alleged scheme.
Investigation continues
Ekunola said the rescued youths would be profiled before authorities reunited them with their families after the investigation.
He added that anyone found culpable in operating the suspected fake institution would face prosecution in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, the NSCDC has expanded its investigation to identify other collaborators and uncover the full network behind the operation. The agency also hopes to determine whether similar schemes are operating in other parts of the country.
The discovery has renewed concerns over fraudulent online admission schemes targeting young Nigerians and foreign nationals seeking opportunities to study abroad.
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