The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has once again been thrown into the spotlight following a catfishing scandal that has unsettled the Great Ife community. On Tuesday, 26th August 2025, a graduate of the institution was apprehended by the Students’ Union over allegations of running multiple fraudulent online identities targeted at female students. The accused, identified as Prince Momoh, had his phone confiscated and all alleged explicit media deleted by union representatives, but as at press time, no official victim has stepped forward to press charges.
Prince Momoh, a graduate of the Department of Accounting (Class of 2022/2023), has been identified by peers as the infamous “Prince Math.” Investigations reveal he operated under the guise of a Snapchat luxury influencer named “Priscilla” with the handle @girl_priscilla. His catfishing strategy reportedly exploited the vulnerabilities of young female students eager for financial and material upgrades.
According to reports, Momoh lured unsuspecting students into a Snapchat group named “Spicy Girls Only, NO Boys Allowed.” Inside the group, he promised participants financial incentives of ₦100,000 to ₦150,000, iPhone upgrades, and other luxury benefits. However, to “qualify,” the students were pressured to provide revealing videos of their “front” and “back” as proof of commitment.
After securing these clips, Momoh—still pretending to be Priscilla—would redirect the victims to another number, also operated by him, posing as the supposed benefactor. In some instances, he sent ₦5,000 for transportation as bait, assuring his victims that larger sums would follow after repeated meetings. Many girls reportedly abandoned the scheme after realizing no real payment was forthcoming.
Catfishing, which involves the creation of false online identities to deceive individuals into emotional or sexual exploitation, is classified as a crime under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015. The Act prescribes penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment or fines of up to ₦5 million for fraudulent impersonation and related offences.
The Students’ Union Public Relations Officer, Olowosile Joseph Oreoluwa, explained that the union acted swiftly to prevent reputational and psychological damage. He stated that both the suspect’s identity and that of the affected girls will remain protected to avoid stigmatization. “We realized early that these victims were mostly vulnerable young women, and the last thing we want is for them to suffer shame or isolation,” he remarked.
Olowosile further disclosed that the case was first reported to him via a suspicious text message in the early hours of Saturday, prompting further inquiry. Using AI-powered tools, his office extracted contacts from the group, reaching out to known students, and confirming links that eventually traced back to one individual. “Everything pointed to one man, one location, one image, one timeframe, and one pattern of communication. That was enough to escalate the matter,” he said.
A bait operation was then set up by the union, where a female student posed as a potential recruit. This trap eventually led to Momoh’s physical apprehension. He was quietly invited for questioning by the Students’ Union before the matter was transferred to security agencies for deeper investigation.
Despite the severity of the allegations, the absence of an official complainant remains a challenge. The Students’ Union Secretary General, Opeyemi Isa, clarified during a live X Space discussion that no victim has yet come forward to press charges. “The lady who informed us about him did so for safety reasons due to recent kidnappings in Ife, not because she was ready to file a case of catfishing,” Isa revealed.
The issue has since spilled into the court of public opinion. In a space tagged “August Dump”, notable OAU figures, including former presidential candidate Abiola Joy “Legbeti” and ex-welfare officer Folakan Paul, criticized the executives’ handling of the scandal. They accused the union of withholding information and possibly engaging in damage control, while also urging students to stop circulating rumours or videos allegedly linked to the case.
Concerns were also raised about transparency, with some students alleging that explicit content might still be in circulation. However, union executives dismissed these claims, insisting that all retrieved media had been destroyed. “Anyone saying videos are circulating is lying,” Isa stressed, while urging caution against spreading unverified information.
The psychological toll on victims was highlighted during the discussions, with contributors warning against trivializing the case or blaming the young women involved. “We must see these girls as our sisters and protect them from further harm,” one speaker noted, reinforcing the call for compassion and confidentiality.
The Students’ Union, in its official release on 26th August 2025, confirmed that its security volunteers had apprehended the suspect on 23rd August. The statement detailed how he used fake identities “Priscilla” and “Mira” to lure unsuspecting female students into exploitative schemes. It also emphasized that the matter has been escalated to relevant security agencies for further investigation.
The release urged students who believe they may have been affected to approach the union confidentially. It further warned against circulating sensitive content, emphasizing that such actions could jeopardize the integrity of the investigation and retraumatize victims. The union reassured the university community that all seized files had been deleted and that no compromising media linked to the case is in circulation.
As the scandal unfolds, the case underscores the growing dangers of online fraud, materialism-driven vulnerability, and digital exploitation on Nigerian campuses. With no victim yet ready to file formal charges, the fate of the case remains uncertain, but the Great Ife Students’ Union has pledged to maintain vigilance while prioritizing student welfare above all else.
