The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Badagry Area Command, has uncovered a suspected illegal university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, rescuing 106 young people allegedly enrolled in the scheme.
The operation also led to the arrest of the institution’s suspected owner, who is accused of deceiving prospective students from different parts of Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with promises of admission into a foreign university.
READ MORE:INEC opens 2026 recruitment portal, outlines application process
The raid was carried out in the early hours of Monday after several days of intelligence gathering and surveillance by NSCDC operatives.
According to the corps, the facility had no registered name, official approval, signboard or recognised campus, but allegedly operated online as a distance-learning centre linked to a foreign university.
Speaking on Monday, the Badagry Area Commander of the NSCDC, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the operation followed credible intelligence received by the command.
“We received actionable intelligence regarding the activities at the location. Our personnel kept the premises under surveillance for several days before carrying out the operation. The proprietor has been arrested and is assisting with ongoing investigations, while the students are currently in our protective custody,” Ekunola said.
Preliminary investigations showed that most of the rescued youths, aged between 19 and 24, came from states including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states. Others reportedly travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited through online platforms.
Investigators said the victims were allegedly convinced to pay admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million, while some foreign applicants reportedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into an overseas tertiary institution.
The NSCDC further alleged that participants were required to recruit additional students as part of the admission process in return for commission payments.
According to investigators, the arrangement resembled a Ponzi or multi-level marketing scheme, with participants earning increasing financial rewards based on the number of people they introduced into the programme.
One of the rescued students reportedly told investigators that after paying $400, he persuaded his brother in Kogi State to register and had already begun receiving referral commissions.
The command also discovered that some participants were allegedly involved in marketing unidentified products online while earning commissions from both product sales and new recruitments.
Expressing concern over the development, Ekunola said many parents were unaware of the true reason their children had travelled to Badagry.
“We have started reaching out to their families. One parent informed us that her child told the family he had travelled to Badagry to learn a trade, not to attend a university. This indicates that many parents had no knowledge of what was actually happening,” he said.
Ekunola added that all 106 rescued youths would be profiled before being reunited with their families once investigations are concluded.
He also stated that anyone found responsible for operating the suspected illegal institution would be prosecuted in line with the law.
The NSCDC said investigations have been widened to identify other individuals connected to the operation, dismantle the entire network and determine whether similar schemes are operating elsewhere in the country.
The discovery has once again raised concerns over the increasing number of fraudulent admission schemes targeting Nigerians and foreign nationals seeking opportunities to study abroad.
About The Author
