lawmakers in Nigeria’s National Assembly have reportedly launched an extortion scheme targeting federal universities and other tertiary institutions, forcing them to pay millions of naira for budget approvals.
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Investigations by PREMIUM TIMES reveal that senators and members of the House of Representatives, particularly those in the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund and the House Committee on University Education, are at the center of the scheme.
According to sources, the lawmakers demand ₦8 million from each of the 60 federal university vice-chancellors—₦4 million for each committee—to approve their budget allocations for 2025. This extortion could yield a total of ₦480 million.
The scheme is reportedly coordinated through two vice-chancellors from the North-Central and North-West geopolitical zones to manage payments discreetly. This prevents easy detection, as funds are routed through multiple accounts and proxies.
During a meeting on January 16, the House Committee on University Education, chaired by Hassan Fulata (APC, Jigawa), allegedly intimidated vice-chancellors into compliance. Sources disclosed that the lawmakers employed threats, including the possibility of probes and budget delays, to enforce their demands.
“They cajoled, threatened, and even humiliated us. Those who refused to cooperate were warned of dire consequences,” a vice-chancellor revealed under anonymity.
This isn’t the first instance of lawmakers being implicated in such schemes. In 2023, PREMIUM TIMES uncovered an extortion racket targeting universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, which led to an ICPC probe. However, the outcome of that investigation remains unclear.
Sources suggest that some vice-chancellors are resisting the lawmakers’ demands, citing potential investigations by anti-graft agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). However, one lawmaker allegedly dismissed these concerns, noting that even ICPC officials appear before them to defend their budgets.
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Gusau, Muazu Gusau, has reportedly become a specific target of the lawmakers for his refusal to cooperate. During the January meeting, lawmakers threatened to “deal with” him for being “stubborn.”
This extortion scheme highlights deeper issues within Nigeria’s tertiary education sector, which suffers from chronic underfunding. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has repeatedly protested the federal government’s failure to honor a 2009 agreement to invest ₦1.5 trillion in university funding.
Despite these challenges, lawmakers’ persistent demands for bribes exacerbate the already dire situation, leaving university administrators under immense pressure.
Efforts to contact Mr. Fulata for comments were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or messages. Meanwhile, the ICPC has yet to provide an official position on the matter.
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