The management of the Federal University of Education, Pankshin (FUEP), Plateau State, has uncovered a certificate forgery operation involving two individuals who were producing and issuing fake academic results and certificates bearing the institution’s name.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Jere Ndazhaga, disclosed this at a press conference held on Monday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Jos.
According to him, the suspects, identified as Mr Friday Tunkyes of Mikang Local Government Area and Mr Harvey Obed Ringsum of Mangu Local Government Area, were arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to one and a half years’ imprisonment each.
Professor Ndazhaga said the incident was uncovered when an individual presented a suspicious certificate to the university’s Examinations and Records Section for verification, complaining that the result had not been uploaded on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) portal.
He explained that university staff detected inconsistencies in the document and promptly alerted the institution’s security unit, which escalated the matter to the Divisional Police Office (DPO) in Pankshin.
“Following preliminary investigations, the case was reported to the State Intelligence Department on Monday, November 17, 2025, based on credible intelligence that criminal elements were producing fake results and certificates in the name of the University,” the acting vice-chancellor said.
He stated that undercover security operations led to the arrest of Mr Tunkyes on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, and the subsequent apprehension of Mr Ringsum on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
During the arrests, security operatives recovered several forged certificates of different academic qualifications, as well as an official emboss stamp bearing the university’s name.
Professor Ndazhaga said the Nigeria Police Force prosecuted the case, and following investigations and trial, the suspects were found guilty by a competent court of law and sentenced to one and a half years’ imprisonment each. They are currently serving their sentences at a correctional facility.
Describing the incident as disturbing and unacceptable, the acting vice-chancellor noted that the suspects were not staff of the university.
He reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to safeguarding its integrity and reputation, and advised employers in both public and private sectors to always verify certificates purportedly issued by the university.
The university also urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities capable of undermining the credibility of academic qualifications.
Professor Ndazhaga emphasised that genuine certificates represent years of academic training, discipline and character formation, adding that the university would not tolerate actions that undermine the value of education.
The Federal University of Education, Pankshin, was recently upgraded from a Federal College of Education to a full-fledged university by the Federal Government.
