Kogi Polytechnic Suspends Five Staff, Arrests Four Students Over Certificate Scam
In what has been described as one of the most audacious cases of academic fraud uncovered in recent years, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has announced the suspension of five staff members and the arrest of four individuals posing as students in connection with a sprawling certificate racketeering syndicate. The development, which came to light after months of discreet internal investigations, has once again cast a harsh light on the growing menace of document forgery within Nigeria’s educational system.
The revelation was made public by the Polytechnic’s Rector, Professor Salisu Ogbo, during a press briefing in Lokoja on Friday, October 31, 2025. Ogbo disclosed that the institution’s management had uncovered a network involving both insiders and external collaborators who allegedly specialized in the production and sale of forged academic certificates.
According to him, the syndicate fabricated and distributed fake National Diploma (ND) certificates bearing the institution’s name to unsuspecting buyers and then went as far as applying for Higher National Diploma (HND) admissions in the same institution using those forged credentials.
The Rector’s address painted a grim picture of institutional compromise and the depth of greed among the perpetrators. Intelligence reports, supported by data verification exercises carried out by the institution’s Admissions, ICT, and Security Units, reportedly revealed a coordinated system of result manipulation, security feature tampering, and outright fabrication of academic records.
“These individuals compromised our internal security arrangements and tampered with key anti-fraud features on our Statements of Result,” Ogbo said. “In some instances, we discovered individuals who had numerous carryovers and were not qualified to graduate, yet managed to produce forged ND certificates bearing official serial numbers.”
Further investigations uncovered over 30 forged certificates that had allegedly been sold to “prospective graduates” seeking quick pathways to academic advancement. The Rector lamented that such acts were not only criminal but represented “a grave assault on the credibility and moral standing of the Polytechnic.”
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the scandal is the alleged involvement of Polytechnic staff. The Rector confirmed that five staff members had been suspended pending the outcome of investigations, noting that their complicity undermined the ethical foundation of the academic system.
“Those who were entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of academic processes became willing tools in the hands of forgers. We cannot allow this cancer to grow unchecked,” Ogbo emphasized.
Preliminary evidence suggests that the staff facilitated access to confidential records, manipulated result sheets, and assisted in embedding fake data into the school’s database. Some were alleged to have received bribes ranging between ₦50,000 and ₦200,000 per document processed — a figure that may seem modest but collectively underscores a lucrative underground trade.
The four individuals posing as students were apprehended through coordinated efforts between the institution’s security unit and law enforcement agencies. They were reportedly caught during the verification stage of HND admission screening, when inconsistencies were discovered between their submitted ND certificates and corresponding institutional records.
According to campus security sources, the suspects have been handed over to the Kogi State Police Command for further investigation. The Polytechnic management has vowed to pursue full legal action to ensure deterrence, invoking relevant sections of Nigeria’s Criminal Code and Forgery Act.
Legal experts have weighed in, noting that the suspects could face up to 14 years imprisonment if convicted for forgery and fraud-related offenses. One Lokoja-based lawyer, Barrister Matthew Adinoyi, told journalists that “academic forgery is not just a breach of trust but a serious criminal offense that undermines national educational standards.”
The Kogi Polytechnic case is far from isolated. Similar scandals have rocked tertiary institutions across Nigeria in recent years — from fake NYSC discharge certificates to forged degree transcripts and exam malpractice rings. In 2023, for instance, a university in the South-West was forced to dismiss seven staff members after discovering a syndicate that issued “phantom” degrees to external candidates who never attended classes.
Analysts say the trend reflects a deeper crisis in Nigeria’s higher education ecosystem — one rooted in unemployment pressure, declining moral standards, and the commodification of academic qualifications.
“The desperation for certificates, not knowledge, is destroying the soul of Nigerian education,” said Professor Francis Irele, a sociologist of education at the University of Ilorin. “We now have graduates who cannot defend their results, yet institutions continue to turn a blind eye until scandals like this erupt.”
The certificate fraud industry in Nigeria has become a multi-million-naira underground economy. Forgers operate from cybercafés, printing shops, and even inside school campuses. Investigations by journalists and anti-corruption agencies have uncovered networks that produce fake WAEC, NECO, JAMB, NYSC, and university certificates, often using genuine paper stock or old templates stolen from institutional archives.
According to a 2024 report by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), over 20,000 forged academic certificates were intercepted in Nigeria between 2020 and 2024, with many destined for use in employment, immigration, or scholarship applications.
“Some of these forgeries are so sophisticated that they can only be detected through digital database crosschecks,” the report noted.
The syndicates exploit weak record-keeping systems, poor data integration, and the absence of national verification platforms for tertiary education credentials. While the National Universities Commission (NUC) and NBTE have made efforts to digitize records, many institutions remain vulnerable.
Beyond the economic and legal consequences lies a moral crisis that cuts to the heart of Nigeria’s value system. Education, once viewed as the ultimate symbol of hard work and intellectual accomplishment, is now being tainted by shortcuts and deceit.
A former rector of another polytechnic, who spoke anonymously, described the trend as “a collapse of moral accountability.”
“When the society celebrates wealth over merit, people begin to look for any means to achieve recognition,” he said. “Students see lecturers taking bribes, staff forging records, and politicians presenting fake certificates. It becomes a cycle of moral corruption.”
Indeed, even Nigeria’s political sphere has not been immune. In multiple election seasons, candidates have been disqualified or challenged in court for submitting forged educational documents — a reflection of how the culture of forgery has penetrated every level of society.
Following the Kogi Polytechnic scandal, education stakeholders have called for systemic reforms. Among the proposed measures are:
- Digital Verification Systems: Establishment of centralized databases accessible by all tertiary institutions, employers, and regulatory bodies for real-time certificate verification.
- Blockchain-Based Recordkeeping: Adoption of blockchain technology to secure academic records from tampering and ensure traceability.
- Periodic Staff Vetting: Regular integrity audits and lifestyle checks for staff handling examination and result processing.
- Whistleblower Protection: Encouraging students and employees to confidentially report suspicious activities without fear of retaliation.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Sensitizing the public about the dangers of certificate forgery and its long-term impact on employability and national reputation.
The Rector of Kogi Polytechnic assured stakeholders that the institution would emerge stronger. “This is not a time for despair,” he said. “It is a time for reform. We will rebuild trust through transparency and innovation.”
Internationally, certificate forgery undermines Nigeria’s academic credibility. Foreign universities and employers increasingly subject Nigerian graduates to secondary verification processes — a humiliating but necessary precaution prompted by the frequency of falsified credentials.
“Every forged certificate reduces the value of genuine ones,” lamented Dr. Adiza Yakubu, an education consultant based in the UK. “Until Nigeria tackles this menace decisively, the integrity of her education system will remain under global scrutiny.”
While the perpetrators face legal consequences, innocent students and graduates often suffer collateral damage. Genuine certificate holders from affected institutions face increased scrutiny, delayed verification, and sometimes lost job opportunities.
One HND applicant who spoke anonymously expressed frustration: “Now employers think everyone from Kogi Poly has a fake certificate. It’s unfair because we worked hard to earn ours.”
This stigma, education experts say, is perhaps the most painful consequence — the erosion of public trust in institutions that should represent academic excellence.
As the investigation into the Kogi Polytechnic certificate scandal continues, it is becoming increasingly clear that the fight against academic fraud must go beyond arrests and suspensions. It requires a cultural reawakening — a collective resolve to restore integrity to the pursuit of education.
“Education without integrity is a ticking time bomb,” said Professor Ogbo in his concluding remarks. “If we fail to act decisively, we will produce a generation of professionals without morals, leaders without conscience, and citizens without credibility.”
The message is unmistakable: the time to act is now.
Kogi Polytechnic’s action, though painful, may serve as a critical turning point in Nigeria’s battle against the commercialization of education. If sustained with institutional courage and public support, this scandal could become the beginning of a broader reform — one that restores not just the name of the Polytechnic but the integrity of Nigerian education itself.