The House of Representatives has granted investigative journalist Umar Audu a 10-year security protection after his brave exposé on widespread certificate racketeering in the Benin Republic. Audu’s undercover investigation revealed a syndicate selling unearned university certificates to Nigerians, many of which were cleared by government agencies, including the Ministry of Education.
The investigative story has sparked a probe by joint House Committees on University, Polytechnic, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Youth Development. Rep. Abubakar Fulata, Chairman of the Committee, confirmed the House’s decision to provide Audu with protection and called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to ensure his safety for the next decade.
During his testimony, Audu detailed how he obtained a degree from a Benin Republic university without attending classes and had it fraudulently cleared by the Ministry of Education for a fee of 40,000 Naira.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in response to the scandal, suggested the creation of an automated single-point contact system for verifying educational credentials to eliminate such fraud. He also apologized for the lapses, noting that such errors should not have occurred under the current administration.
In addition, the Minister of Education, Mr. Olatunji Alausa, assured that the department responsible for clearing fraudulent certificates has been overhauled to prevent future breaches.
Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), also spoke before the committee, revealing that the NYSC had strengthened its verification system using biometric technology to validate certificates submitted by prospective corps members.
The House committee reiterated its commitment to completing the investigation and implementing necessary reforms to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s education and public service systems.
