The company hired by the Lagos State University (LASU) to unearth the syndicates behind the ongoing allegations of certificate racketeering has revealed how it exposed the people manipulating the university’s server.
This is even as the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has expressed her commitment to ensuring transparency in the matter.
A statement released by Benedict Okohnma, General Manager, WealthRoot Company, on Monday, reveals that LASU had previously enlisted the company’s services to act as undercover agents in exposing syndicates manipulating the university server, who were purportedly inputting records of non-graduates fraudulently as students of the institution.
The initiative was said to be launched during the tenure of the immediate past administration in response to complaints from a concerned alumnus.
According to the statement, the criminal activities were predominantly centered around the university’s external system, commonly referred to as the satellite campuses, and clarified that these illicit actions did not implicate the full-term regular undergraduate academic programmes at the institute.
It noted that the syndicates took advantage of LASU’s efforts to wind up the external system, exploiting the opportunity to clear the backlog of yet-to-graduate part-time students from various external centers.
WealthRoot, acting as an undercover agent, was tasked with understanding the operations of the syndicates, studying their client recruitment process, and documenting all administrative and academic processes up to the clearance stage that required in-person presence.
The company collaborated with security agents, including the Department of State Services (DSS), to expose and apprehend the syndicates, irrespective of their status or external connections.
Recognizing the complexity of the investigation and the need for undeniable evidence against the culprits, the university expressed a commitment to thoroughness.
“While the final reports were pending submission to the university at the time media reports on the matter emerged, LASU management was consistently updated on the progress of findings,” the statement emphasized.
To further fortify the certificate collection process, the university, under Prof Olatunji-Bello’s leadership, was said to have implemented additional measures in which the DSS was brought in to support the investigation alongside the institution’s security guards throughout the operations.
The statement also notes that WealthRoot was then entrusted with recommending preventive measures against future occurrences with the expectation of submitting its findings to the university, as it underscored that the company’s final report was still pending.
Prof Olatunji-Bello denied any cover-up or shielding of alleged staff members involved in the certificate racketeering.
She assured that the university will continue to fulfill its obligations under the agreement with the investigating company, offering necessary support to the company and other agencies involved in the ongoing investigation.
