The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a suspected illegal distance-learning institution operating from a residential apartment in Badagry, Lagos State, and rescued 106 students allegedly enrolled under false pretences.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the NSCDC Badagry Area Command, also led to the arrest of the institution’s alleged proprietor, who is currently assisting investigators.
The suspected institution was reportedly operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area, without accreditation, registration, an official name or a physical campus. Investigators said it presented itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university.
Speaking on the development, the Badagry Area Commander of the NSCDC, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the raid followed credible intelligence and several days of surveillance.
According to him, the command received information about suspicious activities at the location, prompting operatives to monitor the premises before carrying out the operation.
“We acted on reliable intelligence. Our officers kept the premises under surveillance for several days before moving in. The proprietor has been arrested and is assisting with investigations, while the students have been placed in our protective custody,” he said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims, mostly between the ages of 19 and 29, were recruited from different parts of Nigeria, including Kogi, Oyo and Niger states, as well as neighbouring countries such as Cameroon and Togo.
The students were allegedly promised admission into a foreign university after paying admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million. Foreign nationals reportedly paid between 400 and 500 US dollars for the same promise.
Investigators also uncovered what they described as a referral-based recruitment system in which enrolled students were encouraged to recruit new participants in exchange for financial commissions.
The arrangement, according to the NSCDC, operated in a manner similar to a Ponzi or chain-marketing scheme, with participants earning more money based on the number of people they introduced.
One of the rescued students reportedly told investigators that after paying 400 dollars to enrol, he convinced his brother in Kogi State to join the programme and had already started receiving referral commissions.
Further findings indicated that some of the students were also engaged in promoting unidentified products online and receiving commissions from product sales in addition to recruitment incentives.
Mr Ekunola said many of the students’ parents appeared unaware of the true nature of the operation.
He disclosed that one parent informed investigators that her child had told the family he was travelling to Badagry to acquire vocational skills rather than attend a university.
The NSCDC said the rescued students are currently undergoing profiling and counselling before being reunited with their families.
The corps added that investigations have been expanded to identify other individuals connected to the operation and determine whether similar illegal institutions are operating in other parts of the country.
The suspect is expected to face prosecution upon the conclusion of investigations.
The discovery comes amid renewed efforts by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to curb the activities of illegal tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
The commission recently blacklisted 58 unapproved universities, describing them as degree mills operating without legal authorisation to offer academic programmes or award recognised qualifications.
The NUC has consistently advised prospective students and parents to verify the accreditation status of institutions before seeking admission, warning that certificates obtained from unapproved institutions are not recognised in Nigeria.
