Reps Grant 10-Year Protection to Journalist Who Exposed Benin Republic Fake Degree

The House of Representatives has approved a decade-long protective measure for investigative reporter Umar Audu, following his report that revealed a large-scale certificate forgery network that supplies fake university degrees from the Benin Republic to Nigerians.

Audu’s undercover work exposed a group involved in helping Nigerians purchase unearned academic qualifications, some of which are illegitimately validated by official bodies, including the Ministry of Education.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, joint committees from the House on Universities, Polytechnics, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Youth Development are presently carrying out an inquiry into the scandal.

Representative Abubakar Fulata, who leads the committee, made the House’s directive public and requested that the Nigeria Police Force and other security units, such as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, provide protection for Audu for the next ten years.

“We are grateful to Audu for his courage. We urge the Minister of the Interior to ensure that the Civil Defence provides the required support alongside the police,” Fulata stated.

When speaking to the committee, Audu explained how he was able to obtain a university certificate from the Benin Republic without participating in classes and got it authenticated by the Ministry of Education after paying ₦40,000.

Responding to the findings, the Minister of the Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, proposed that an automated, unified contact point should be created to centralise certificate verification and eliminate fraudulent practices.

“Such an error did not occur under this administration. However, a unified, automated portal is essential to curb this menace,” Tunji-Ojo stated, and he also issued an apology to Nigerians for the failures.

The Minister of Education, Mr. Olatunji Alausa, was represented by Mrs. Larai Ahmed, a Director in the ministry.

Alausa acknowledged that the section of the ministry that handled Audu’s certificate has been restructured, and new measures are in place to stop similar occurrences.

Also attending the committee session, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed that the corps has implemented biometric methods to confirm the authenticity of certificates bought by prospective corps members.

“We deeply regret the anomaly and are collaborating with relevant agencies.

“Our verification system is now stronger, and we have initiated reforms to prevent any recurrence,” Nafiu stated.

The committee from the House restated its dedication to finalising an in-depth investigation and putting reforms in place to protect the credibility of Nigeria’s educational institutions and the public sector.