The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has rescued 106 youths and arrested a suspect after uncovering a suspected fake university allegedly operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Badagry, Lagos State.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the NSCDC Badagry Area Command in the early hours of Monday, followed days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance on the premises located in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area.
The Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the suspect, believed to be the proprietor of the institution, was arrested during the raid and is assisting investigators.
According to Ekunola, preliminary investigations indicate that the facility allegedly operated without official registration, accreditation, a recognised campus or even a signboard, while presenting itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university.
“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.
The NSCDC said the rescued youths, most of whom are between 19 and 24 years old, were drawn from different parts of Nigeria, including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states. Some were also said to have travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after allegedly responding to online recruitment campaigns.
Investigators believe the victims were persuaded to pay admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million, while some foreign applicants allegedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into a foreign tertiary institution.
The command said its investigation also uncovered an alleged referral system in which participants were encouraged to recruit new applicants in return for financial commissions.
Investigators further alleged that some participants were involved in promoting unidentified products online, earning commissions from both product sales and the recruitment of additional members. Authorities said they are examining whether the operation functioned as a broader fraudulent marketing or recruitment scheme.
Expressing concern over the development, Ekunola said many parents appeared unaware of the true nature of their children’s activities in Badagry.
“We have started contacting their families. One parent told us her child informed the family that he came to Badagry to learn a trade, not to attend a university. That shows many of these parents were completely unaware,” he said.
He explained that all the rescued youths would be profiled and receive appropriate support before being reunited with their families, while investigations continue.
“Anyone found culpable in operating the alleged institution will be prosecuted in accordance with the law. Our investigation has also been expanded to identify other collaborators and determine whether similar operations exist elsewhere in the country,” Ekunola added.
The NSCDC said the investigation remains ongoing as it seeks to establish the full scope of the alleged operation, identify other persons connected with it and verify the claims made to prospective students.
The discovery has renewed concerns over fraudulent admission schemes that exploit young people seeking higher education opportunities within and outside Nigeria.
