Investigative journalist, Umar Audu, has given more information on how simple it was to obtain a certificate from Cotonou-based University in Benin Republic in less than six weeks.
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Audu revealed a thriving certificate racketeering syndicate in neighbouring African nations like Benin Republic and Togo, which specializes in selling university degrees to willing buyers in Nigeria, in his investigative report titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks.”
According to him, the certificate was delivered like pizza after payment was made.
“This certificate will be delivered to you just like you ordered a pizza or something and you give them your location and it is delivered to you. That was what motivated me to conduct this investigation,” he said on Channels Television’s Morning Brief.
“We have done a similar investigation in the past in 2018, which led to the government taking certain decisions. These things keep going on despite pronouncements by the Federal Government.”
The undercover reporter obtained a transcript from the school with the real scan code of the concerned institution.
The transcript and certificate were reasonably priced and included the genuine scan code of the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, Benin Republic.
The Federal Government was compelled by his inquiry to halt the assessment and accreditation of degree credentials from Togo and the Benin Republic.
According to the certificate issued, the reporter commenced his programme in 2018 and graduated on September 5, 2022. He thereafter used the fake certificate to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme without being detected.
When asked by the presenter if he had received any threats following his report, he stated that while he is yet to receive any threat, he is away from the public as he needed to prioritize his safety.
“There is a lot of concern from friends and family members regarding my safety. They have been genuinely worried, and as a journalist, I believe I should be allowed to carry out my job without any threats or intimidation.
“This situation highlights the type of society we live in, where journalists should be able to conduct their work peacefully and be assured of their safety.
“I want to use this platform to call on the authorities to ensure my protection, even though I am currently in a safe place. However, I am uncertain about what might happen next, as I have been giving interviews and my report has gone viral without any threats so far.
“I hope the government remains vigilant, and if there are any threats, I will promptly reach out to them to ensure I receive the necessary protection.”
He also revealed that he spent roughly N600,000 to get a Bachelor of Science degree from a Benin Republic institution in two months.
When asked how much he spent to acquire the fake certificate, Umar said, “I spent roughly N600,000. I did not go to the border; I only gave an immigration officer to help me get an ECOWAS passport and a backdated stamp of Nigerian Immigration and Benien, which I spent N150,000.”
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