Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Badagry Area Command, have busted a suspected fake university running from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, rescuing 106 young students.
The command also arrested the alleged proprietor of the illegal institution, who is said to have lured youths from various parts of Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with false promises of admission into a foreign university.
The raid was conducted in the early hours of Monday following intelligence gathering and several days of surveillance.
According to the NSCDC, the operation had no official name, registration, signboard, or recognised campus, yet it allegedly presented itself online as a distance-learning centre linked to a foreign institution.
Badagry Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the suspects targeted mostly teenagers and young adults aged 19 to 24 from states including Kogi, Oyo, and parts of northern Nigeria. Some victims also came from Niger, Cameroon, and Togo.
Victims reportedly paid between ₦200,000 and ₦1.5 million for “admission and processing fees,” while foreign nationals paid between $400 and $500.
The scheme allegedly operated on a recruitment model similar to a Ponzi scheme, offering commissions to participants who brought in new students.
Some were also reportedly involved in promoting unidentified products online for additional earnings.
Ekunola expressed concern that many parents were unaware of their children’s activities. “One parent told us her child informed the family that he came to Badagry to learn a trade, not to attend a university,” he said.
The rescued students are currently in protective custody and will be profiled before being reunited with their families.
The arrested proprietor is assisting with investigations, and the NSCDC has vowed to expand its probe to uncover the full network and check for similar operations elsewhere.
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