NSCDC uncovers alleged fake university in Lagos with 106 students

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Badagry Area Command, has uncovered an alleged fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of ​​Lagos State.

This allegedly fake higher education institution allegedly had 106 youths recruited into the scheme.

The commandos also arrested the owner of the institution, who was accused of luring young people from across Nigeria and neighboring West African countries with promises of admission to foreign universities.

The corps said the operation was carried out early Monday after days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance by its agents.

According to the corps, the suspected institution operated without an official name, registration, signboard or recognized campus, and allegedly presented itself online as a distance learning center affiliated with a foreign university.

NSCDC Badagry Area Commander, Chief Inspector Gbenga Ekunola, who disclosed the development, said the raid was carried out following credible intelligence regarding activities at the apartment.

“We had reliable intelligence regarding the activities taking place there. Our officers monitored the place for days before moving in. We have arrested the owner, who is helping with our investigations, while the students have been detained by us,” Ekunola said.

Investigations revealed that the rescued teenagers, mostly aged between 19 and 24, came from several Nigerian states, including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states. Others reportedly traveled from neighboring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited online.

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Initial findings suggest that victims were lured into paying entrance fees and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million, while some foreign nationals reportedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission to foreign colleges.

NSCDC said it further discovered that the admission offers allegedly came with recruitment conditions that required participants to bring in more students in exchange for commissions.

Investigators said the arrangement allegedly operated like a Ponzi or chain marketing scheme, where participants were promised increasing financial rewards based on the number of new members they brought into the program.

One of the victims reportedly told investigators that after paying $400, he convinced his brother in Kogi State to register and had already started receiving referral commissions.

The command also revealed another dimension of the operation, alleging that some participants were involved in promoting unknown products online while earning a percentage of product sales and recruiting.

Expressing concern over the incident, Ekunola said many parents were unaware of what their children were actually doing in Badagry.

“We have started contacting their families. One of the parents told us that his son told the family that he came to Badagry to learn a trade, not to go to college. That shows many of these parents are completely unaware,” he said.

He said all rescued teenagers would be profiled before being reunited with their families following an investigation.

The regional commander added that anyone found guilty of operating these fake institutions would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

NSCDC said the investigation had expanded to uncover the entire network behind the operation, identify other collaborators and determine whether similar schemes were also operating in other regions of the country.

The discovery adds to concerns over the increasing number of fake online admission schemes targeting young Nigerians and foreign nationals seeking study abroad opportunities.