A major examination registration controversy has engulfed Trainfield College, Owode-Onirin, Lagos, after allegations emerged that an acting principal independently handled WASSCE registration payments through private accounts before allegedly disappearing without completing the process for candidates.
The controversy sparked outrage online on Thursday, May 14, 2026, after claims surfaced on social media alleging that funds meant for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) registration had been diverted, leaving several students uncertain about their examination status.
When The Nigeria Education News visited the school on Friday, May 15, management, parents, and stakeholders were still locked in meetings as anxious families sought explanations over the unfolding crisis.
At the centre of the controversy is the school’s acting principal, Mr. Solomon Luka Dauda, whom management accused of allegedly handling examination registration payments and processing outside approved administrative and financial procedures.
In a petition submitted to the Nigeria Police Force by the proprietress of the school, Mrs. Winifred Ebhohimen, management alleged that the acting principal privately coordinated the registration of both internal and external candidates without the knowledge of the school bursary and management structure.
The petition further alleged that he later became unreachable after allegedly leaving with registration records and documents connected to the exercise.
School authorities claimed the registration process involved 8 internal students of Trainfield College alongside more than 100 external candidates allegedly brought in independently through arrangements handled directly by the acting principal.
According to management, payments were allegedly made into personal bank accounts rather than the school’s official account system.
Speaking to The Nigeria Education News reporter during the visit, the chairman of the school insisted that management neither authorized private collections nor had prior knowledge of the financial arrangements allegedly made with external candidates.
“The school has a formal administrative and financial structure. Payments are supposed to go through the school process officially, not private accounts,” he said.
He maintained that many of the external candidates involved were not formally connected to the school and were allegedly processed privately outside official institutional procedures.
Management, however, acknowledged that parts of the registration process had already progressed before the crisis surfaced publicly.
According to explanations provided by school officials, biometric capture and data processing for candidates had reportedly been completed, but the final stage required to activate and finalize the registrations was allegedly not concluded before the examination portal closed.
School authorities claimed efforts were later made to resolve the issue with officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), but the portal closure reportedly prevented final approval from being completed.
“We were outsmarted at a particular stage of the process,” one school stakeholder admitted during interactions with The Nigeria Education News.
Trainfield College has since denied online claims alleging that the proprietress or school management absconded with examination fees.
In official statements made available to The Nigeria Education News, management described such reports as false, misleading, and damaging to the reputation of the institution.
The school also confirmed that the matter had been reported to the police, while emergency arrangements were being explored to support affected students through alternative public examinations, including NECO and GCE.
Parents who spoke during the visit expressed shock over the development, with some describing the acting principal as calm and trusted before communication with him suddenly stopped earlier in the week.
One parent said she spoke with him on Monday and reached him again Tuesday morning before his line later became unreachable.
Another parent described the incident as “temptation,” while sympathizing with affected students and the emotional toll the situation had placed on families.
Beyond the immediate controversy, the incident has also raised broader concerns about examination registration practices, unofficial candidate processing, weak financial controls, and the risks parents face when public examination procedures are handled outside transparent institutional systems.
As of the time of filing this report, attempts to reach the acting principal directly were unsuccessful, while police investigations into the matter were ongoing.
The school management says its immediate priority remains preventing affected students from losing an academic year as efforts continue to manage both the educational and reputational fallout from the crisis.
