Afrigather In a riveting flip of occasions on the trending certificates racketeering concern, the previous Nationwide Affiliation of Nigerian College students (NANS) President for Benin Republic, Ugochukwu Favour, has fervently demanded the arrest of undercover reporter, Umar Audu.
The investigative journalist boldly unravelled an internet of corruption surrounding certificates issuance from a faculty in Cotonou, Benin Republic, igniting a fierce debate.
In a candid interview on Channels TV’s Dawn Each day, Favour castigated Audu for buying stamped passports and certificates with out a bodily presence, emphasizing the audacity of such actions.
He questioned the reporter’s twin service in 2019 and 2023, including layers to the controversy.
The previous NANS President asserted that Audu’s exposé inadvertently implicates the federal government, the Nationwide Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and immigration.
He vehemently insisted on Audu’s arrest, stating that the reporter, whereas making an attempt to make clear issues, unwittingly implicated authorities.
When queried concerning the potential advantages of Audu’s investigation in exposing systemic flaws, Favour cautiously acknowledged its relevance.
Nevertheless, he urged swift authorities intervention to deal with the uncovered irregularities.
Recall that Audu’s investigative report titled “How Each day Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity diploma in 6 weeks” got here to the forefront within the final days of 2023.
Audu revealed a certificates racketeering syndicate in neighbouring African international locations like Benin Republic and Togo, promoting levels to Nigerian patrons.
Within the report, Audu shared how he obtained a level from a Cotonou-based college in simply six weeks, likening the method to ordering pizza.
This exposé pressured the Federal Authorities to droop the accreditation of certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.
Nevertheless, Favour argued for leniency over the ban on certificates validation, noting the presence of 15,000 Nigerian college students in Benin.
He urged the federal government to think about official college students and probed the matter by means of a committee to curb future occurrences.
Because the controversy deepened, Training Minister Tahir Mamman declared the federal government’s intent to go after Nigerians with pretend diploma certificates.
The dragnet, initially solid over Benin Republic and Togo, is poised to increase to different African international locations, signalling a broader crackdown on certificates fraud.
