The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a residential apartment in Badagry, Lagos State, rescuing 106 young people allegedly enrolled in the illegal scheme.
The operation, carried out by the NSCDC Badagry Area Command on Monday, followed days of intelligence gathering and surveillance. Officers arrested the alleged proprietor, who is accused of deceiving prospective students with promises of admission into a foreign university.
According to the NSCDC, the institution operated from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area without a registered name, official campus, or government approval. Investigators said it posed online as a distance-learning centre linked to a foreign university.
The rescued students, most of whom are between 19 and 24 years old, reportedly came from several Nigerian states, including Kogi, Oyo and parts of northern Nigeria. Others travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited through online advertisements.
Preliminary investigations revealed that victims paid admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million, while some foreign nationals allegedly paid between $400 and $500.
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The NSCDC also alleged that participants were encouraged to recruit new students in exchange for commissions, describing the arrangement as a chain-marketing or Ponzi-style operation. Investigators further discovered that some members promoted unidentified products online while earning commissions from sales and referrals.
Badagry Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said many parents were unaware of the true activities of their children, with some believing they had travelled to Badagry to learn a trade.
He said the rescued students would be profiled and reunited with their families after investigations, while those found responsible for operating the alleged fake institution would face prosecution.
The NSCDC added that investigations have been expanded to identify other collaborators and determine whether similar fraudulent admission schemes are operating elsewhere in the country.
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