Olu Samuel
The Management of the Kogi state polytechnic , Lokoja has suspended a deputy registrar and nine others for being part of a certificate forgery syndicate operating in the polytechnic.
Professor Salisu Ogbo Usman ,the rector of the polythecnic disclosed this at a press conference in Lokoja on Thursday.
He however did not reveal the name of the Deputy Registrar, Professor Ogbo said that he alongside five other members of staff in the Exams and Records Unit of the polytechnic identified to be members of the syndicate have been suspended indefinitely.
He also said four other persons, including three students and a former student involved in the certificate and statement of results forgery case have been identified and arrested.
Usman said the suspects were identified through intelligence reports and routine verification exercises by the Admission, ICT, and Security Units of the polytechnic.
According to him, a detailed investigation was also launched in collaboration with relevant law enforcement agencies.
The Rector said 30 statements of result bearing different names, ND and HND certificate several fake official stamps, stamp pads and admission letters bearing different names and programmes were recovered from the suspects.
The Rector, however, stated further that “Investigation revealed shocking levels of audacity and deceit.
“Some of the suspects forged National Diploma (ND) results in the name of Kogi State Polytechnic and had the temerity to apply for Higher National Diploma (HND) admission in the same institution using the forged ND results.
“Even more alarming, others forged both ND and HND results and had the gut to apply for the collection of original certificates for the same fabricated results.”
Professor Usman explained that the nune persons so far identified ti be members of the syndicate will be made to face the music for their action.
“These individuals compromised our security arrangements and tampered with the security features on our Statements of Result.
“They colluded with result processors to prepare results for individuals who had multiple carryovers but refused to sit for their examinations, thereby falsely portraying them as graduates.
“Such criminal acts represent an assault on the credibility and reputation of our institution, and they cannot be allowed to go unpunished,” he said.
According to the Rector, the recent cases uncovered in this regards are : “Amina Mustapha who was never our student, but forged our ND and HND results and attempted to use same to obtain original certificate in connivance with some members of staff in Exams Unit.
“Mfon Asuquo who was our student that absconded with multiple carryovers only to fraudulently obtain our statement of result and attempted using same to obtain original certificate in connivance with same members of staff in Exams Unit.
“Danjuma Mercy Sunday who connived with one Abubakar Musa (our student with matriculation number 2024/HND/URP/052), Adejoh Faith (our student with matriculation number 2024/HND/OTM/179), Ademu Rilwan (our student with matriculation number 2024/HND/BUS/158) and Henry Tope; a former student identified as the mastermind of the syndicate forging statement of result.
“We are pleased to inform the public that four suspects involved in the forgery of statement of result were apprehended during registration.
“They have been handed over to our security unit, whose investigation led to the unmasking of the broader syndicate behind this academic fraud.
“For record purpose, let me re-emphasise the case of Amina Mustapha earlier mentioned.
“She appeared alongside a staff member, Mr. Dominic Egwuda, to collect ND and HND certificates in Computer Science.
“Upon scrutiny by the Admissions Unit, discrepancies were noticed.
“Investigation revealed that Amina never attended Kogi State Polytechnic, and her matriculation numbers were nonexistent.
“Further investigation led to the suspension of five (5) other members of the certificate forgery syndicate.