The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Badagry, Lagos State, rescuing 106 young people who were allegedly recruited into the scheme.
The operation, carried out by the NSCDC Badagry Area Command in the early hours of Monday, also led to the arrest of the suspected proprietor, who is accused of deceiving young Nigerians and foreign nationals with promises of admission into a foreign university.
According to the corps, the raid followed several days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance after officials received credible reports about suspicious activities at the apartment located in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area.
Speaking after the operation, the Badagry Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the institution was allegedly operating without a registered name, official approval, signboard or recognised campus. Despite this, it reportedly presented itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university.
“We got reliable intelligence about the activities going on there. Our officers monitored the place for days before moving in. We have arrested the proprietor, who is assisting with our investigation, while the students have been taken into our protective custody,” Ekunola said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that most of the rescued youths, aged between 19 and 24, travelled from different parts of Nigeria, including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states. Others reportedly came from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited through online advertisements.
Investigators said the victims were allegedly persuaded to pay admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million. Some foreign applicants were also said to have paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into an overseas tertiary institution.
The NSCDC further alleged that participants were encouraged to recruit more students in exchange for financial rewards, with the scheme reportedly operating in a manner similar to a Ponzi or chain-marketing system.
One of the rescued youths reportedly told investigators that after paying $400 to join the programme, he convinced his brother in Kogi State to enrol and had already begun receiving commissions for referrals.
Authorities also uncovered another aspect of the operation, alleging that some participants were tasked with promoting unidentified products online while earning commissions from product sales and additional recruitment.
Ekunola expressed concern that many parents had no idea what their children were actually doing in Badagry.
“We have started contacting their families. One parent told us her child informed the family that he came to Badagry to learn a trade, not to attend a university. That shows many of these parents were completely unaware,” he said.
He added that all 106 rescued youths would be profiled before being reunited with their families after investigations are concluded.
The area commander stressed that anyone found culpable in operating the alleged fake institution would face prosecution in accordance with the law.
The NSCDC said investigations have been expanded to identify other members of the network, uncover additional collaborators and determine whether similar fraudulent admission schemes are operating elsewhere in the country.
The discovery has heightened concerns over the growing trend of online admission scams targeting young Nigerians and foreign nationals seeking educational opportunities abroad.