In a revealing investigative report titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks,” undercover journalist Umar Audu exposed a thriving certificate racketeering syndicate operating in neighboring African countries like Benin Republic and Togo, selling university degrees to willing buyers in Nigeria.
Audu highlighted the ease with which the certificate was obtained, comparing it to ordering pizza and having it delivered after payment.
“This certificate will be delivered to you just like you ordered for 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.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Audu emphasized that despite previous government actions, such activities persist.
The undercover reporter even acquired the school’s transcript, complete with an authentic scan code from Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, ESGT, Benin Republic.
As a consequence of Audu’s investigation, the Federal Government suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.
Interestingly, Audu clarified that he conducted the entire investigation without leaving Nigeria.
Days after, Audu, who works at the Daily Nigerian newspapers, said: “I never travelled out of Nigeria during this investigation.”
The certificate issued indicated that the reporter initiated the program in 2018, graduated on September 5, 2022, and subsequently used the fake certificate to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) without detection.
Ada Peter
