- Mgt orders probe
Kogi State Polytechnic has launched an investigation into a network of nine individuals allegedly involved in large-scale certificate forgery and document falsification.
The institution’s Rector, Professor Salisu Ogbo, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday in Lokoja. According to him, the scandal has led to the suspension of five staff members, while four individuals claiming to be students have been arrested in connection with the alleged racketeering.
“Management recently uncovered a syndicate comprising students, non-students, and a few unscrupulous members of staff who were found manipulating academic records and disregarding institutional procedures,” Ogbo stated.
He revealed that 30 counterfeit National Diploma (ND) certificates had already been discovered and reportedly sold to unsuspecting buyers. Shockingly, some of the perpetrators used the forged results to seek admission into the institution’s Higher National Diploma (HND) programme.
The rector explained that the operation was uncovered through intelligence gathering and routine verification exercises conducted by the Admissions, ICT, and Security Units of the polytechnic.
“These individuals breached our security systems and tampered with the protective features on official Statements of Result,” he said.
Ogbo added that the suspects worked with result processors to generate fake academic results for persons who had failed or skipped examinations, thereby presenting them as successful graduates.
He condemned the act as a direct attack on the integrity of the polytechnic, vowing that those involved would face the full weight of the law.
“This is a criminal affront to the credibility of our institution. Such misconduct will not be tolerated or allowed to go unpunished,” he affirmed.
The Rector assured the public and stakeholders that the polytechnic’s quality assurance and security systems remain intact and that management is committed to preserving the school’s reputation.
“We will continue to expose and eradicate all forms of academic fraud capable of tarnishing the good name of Kogi State Polytechnic,” Ogbo concluded.