Bayero University Kano (BUK) has launched an investigation into allegations of online impersonation and financial misconduct involving one of its students, Ismail Sani, following a wave of public confessions from victims who said they were scammed.
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A statement by the Director Public Affairs of the institution, Lamara Garab, on Wednesday said the university acknowledged the reports circulating on social media linking the student to acts of fraud.
It stressed that the personal actions of any individual do not represent the institution’s values, but assured that disciplinary action would be taken if the allegations are substantiated.
“Any conduct capable of bringing the name and reputation of the university into disrepute is treated seriously,” Lamara Garba said.
The scandal gained traction after US-based Nigerian academic, Professor Farooq Kperogi, revealed that he had been repeatedly duped by someone posing as “Halima Tahir,” a supposed 300-level microbiology student at BUK.
Kperogi said he later discovered that the person behind the identity was actually Ismail Sani, a veterinary medicine student at the university.
According to him, Sani initially approached him in 2024 claiming to be a newly admitted student in need of tuition support.
“I helped him without asking for verification. He later made more requests, including money for an old woman’s medicine. Then he reappeared as ‘Halima Tahir’ to scam me again,” Kperogi wrote.
He said digital evidence, including email addresses, receipts, and JAMB registration slips, tied the scammer to Sani. Despite being confronted with the evidence, Sani allegedly denied wrongdoing.
“He is clearly a dangerous, well-practiced scammer. Or perhaps mentally unwell. Whatever the case, he does not belong in polite society. He belongs in prison, or somewhere he cannot harm people,” Kperogi said.
Many other victims, most of whom popular social media influencers, also revealed similar experience, describing how they were confronted with emotional pleas, religious invocations, and fabricated stories designed to elicit sympathy and financial support.
BUK said a preliminary inquiry has commenced and appropriate authorities are reviewing the matter according to established disciplinary procedures.
The institution commended individuals like Kperogi who support students financially, but urged the public to allow the investigative process to proceed without speculation or the spread of unverified information.
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