By Peace Erewunmi

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Badagry Area Command, has uncovered a suspected fake university operating from a three-bedroom apartment in Ilado, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, rescuing 106 youths allegedly lured into the scheme.

The operation, carried out after several days of intelligence gathering and surveillance, led to the arrest of the alleged proprietor of the institution. Investigators said the suspect allegedly deceived young people from different parts of Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with promises of admission into a foreign university.

According to the NSCDC, the institution had no official name, registration, signboard or recognised campus. It allegedly presented itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university and charged victims between ₦200,000 and ₦1.5 million as admission and processing fees, while some foreign nationals reportedly paid between $400 and $500.

Preliminary investigations revealed that most of the rescued youths were between the ages of 19 and 24 and were recruited from states including Kogi, Oyo and several northern states, as well as neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo. Authorities also alleged that the operation used a referral system in which participants earned commissions for recruiting new students.

The rescued students have been taken into protective custody for profiling and counselling before being reunited with their families. The NSCDC said investigations are ongoing to identify other suspects and determine whether similar fraudulent operations exist elsewhere in the country, reaffirming its commitment to protecting Nigerians from educational and financial scams.