Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Badagry Area Command, have dismantled an illegal academic institution operating from a modest three-bedroom apartment in the Ilado community, Olorunda Local Council Development Area, Lagos State.
The raid, which took place at dawn on Monday, led to the rescue of 106 young people who had been drawn into what authorities describe as a sophisticated admission fraud. The alleged proprietor of the outfit was taken into custody during the operation.
According to security sources, the so-called university had no physical signage, no accredited curriculum, and no formal recognition from any educational regulatory body. It functioned solely from the residential apartment, using a deceptive online presence to market itself as a foreign-affiliated distance learning centre.
NSCDC Badagry Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, disclosed that the operation was the result of days of painstaking surveillance.
“Intelligence suggested something unusual was happening in that apartment. We watched and waited until we were certain. When we moved in, we found over a hundred young people living in that space, believing they were enrolling in a legitimate overseas programme,” Ekunola said.
The rescued individuals, predominantly between 19 and 24 years old, hailed from various states including Kogi, Oyo, Kaduna, and Borno. Authorities also confirmed the presence of foreign nationals from Niger Republic, Cameroon, and Togo, all of whom had been recruited through social media platforms.
Investigators learnt that victims were required to pay substantial sums for processing and admission. Nigerian applicants reportedly parted with between N200,000 and N1.5 million, while foreign candidates paid between $400 and $500.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the scheme was its referral system. In exchange for bringing in additional applicants, existing victims were offered commissions—a structure that bore striking resemblance to a pyramid or Ponzi scheme.
One rescued youth, who spoke on condition of anonymity, admitted that he had convinced his elder brother to sign up and had already collected referral bonuses before the NSCDC intervened.
Officials also found evidence that some of the youths were being used to market unspecified products online, earning percentages from sales while remaining unaware of the illegality of the entire operation.
Ekunola noted that many families had been misled about their children’s whereabouts and activities.
“We’ve reached out to several parents. One mother told us her son said he was going to Badagry for vocational training. She had no idea he was enrolled in what he believed was a university programme,” the commander revealed.
He assured that all rescued persons would be properly profiled and eventually reunited with their families once investigations are complete. He also vowed that the proprietor and any accomplices would face the full wrath of the law.
This incident has reignited concerns over the proliferation of fake academic institutions preying on desperate job seekers and students eager for foreign education.
The NSCDC has indicated that its investigation will extend beyond Badagry to determine whether similar operations exist in other states and to track down other individuals involved in the network.
For now, the 106 youths remain in protective custody, their dreams of an international education shattered by what authorities have described as one of the most brazen academic frauds uncovered in the state this year.
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