NSCDC rescues 106 youths as operatives raid suspected fake university in Lagos

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, rescuing 106 young people allegedly recruited into the scheme.

Operatives also arrested the suspected proprietor, who allegedly lured youths from Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with promises of admission into a foreign university. The operation, carried out on Monday, followed days of intelligence gathering and surveillance.

According to the NSCDC, the institution had no official name, registration, signboard or recognised campus, but allegedly operated online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university.

Badagry Area Commander of the NSCDC, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the raid was carried out after the command received credible intelligence on the activities at the apartment.

“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,” Ekunola said.

Investigations showed that most of the rescued victims, aged between 19 and 24, came from several Nigerian states, while others were recruited from neighbouring countries including Niger, Cameroon and Togo. They allegedly paid between ₦200,000 and ₦1.5 million in fees, while some foreign nationals reportedly paid between $400 and $500.

The NSCDC also discovered that participants were allegedly required to recruit others in exchange for commissions, with investigators describing the arrangement as similar to a Ponzi or chain-marketing scheme. Some were also said to have promoted unidentified products online for commissions.

Ekunola said the rescued youths would be profiled before reuniting them with their families, while those found culpable would be prosecuted. He added that investigations had been expanded to identify other collaborators and determine whether similar schemes were operating elsewhere in the country.