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The Imo State University in Owerri, Imo State, has been under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board over an allegation of admission racketeering involving some staff members of the institution.
PUNCH Metro gathered that JAMB officials, after observing that its admission portal had been compromised, traced no fewer than 230 fake admission letters to IMSU.
In a bid to get the matter investigated, the JAMB officials were said to have alerted officials of the ICPC to the fake admissions traced to the university and the commission, during the investigation, invited staff members linked to the fraudulent act for questioning.
While some of the staff members linked to the admission racketeering allegation were reportedly arrested in the office of the institution’s VC, Prof. Uchefula Chukwumaeze, some were said to have been arrested at the offices of the Registrar, Dr. Julius Osuagwu, and the Director of Admissions, Ndubuisi Ubaku, among other offices in the institution.
Speaking with our correspondent on Monday, the spokesperson for JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that close to 10 employees of the institution were arrested, adding that during a joint operation involving JAMB and ICPC officials, the 230 students whose names were on the fake admission letters traced to the school were also interrogated.
He said, “Yes, 230 fake admission letters were traced to IMSU. We took the matter to the ICPC and close to 10 staff members were arrested. Those involved in the admission office of the university were arrested and the VC was helpful as he ensured that all staff members involved, even those in his office, were not spared.
“Even the 230 students whose names were on the fake admission letters were also interrogated and their admission would be withdrawn. Some of the students are in the 400 level, and some are in the 300 level but whoever is involved will certainly lose that admission.
“How we discovered it is that we have automated our admission processes. We have what we call a matriculation list. So, when the university submitted their matriculation, we automated the admission process on what we call the Central Admission Processing System (otherwise known as CAPS) in such a way that we would monitor the movement of students from the point of admission to their progression and graduation.”
Benjamin said when JAMB was monitoring the admission process at IMSU, its officials discovered that the numbers differed from what was approved by JAMB.
He said, “It was at that point that we involved the ICPC because we didn’t have the power to prosecute. When we invited the ICPC, we also discussed with the VC, who was very helpful and supportive because he also said he had been suspecting but did not have the evidence. He said he wanted a situation where we could help in cleaning the system and that is what we have done.
“Close to 10 workers were arrested at the offices of the VC, Registrar, and Admissions Office. The ICPC and JAMB formed a team during the investigation and the 230 students were interrogated.
During the interrogation, we were able to ascertain that money was exchanged between the students and some of the staff members. We will withdraw the admissions of the students and the ICPC will take over from there.”
Benjamin, while describing the affected students as conspirators in the admission racketeering at IMSU, advised admission seekers to desist from accepting admissions printed on any university’s admission letter.
He said, “If a university gives you an admission letter, it is a red flag that you should be careful. The instruction is that no admission should be done outside of CAPS. So, if somebody comes, and creates a pseudo-admission letter, do not accept it because the admission must come through JAMB.
“We don’t offer admission. But we created a process where the university will make recommendations, send them to us and we will approve if they fall in line with the rules and regulations. So, any admission that is not approved through us, do not accept it.
“But some institutions are still giving candidates admission using their institutional admission letters, despite the minister of education making it clear that institutions should stop giving candidates their institutional admission letters and that the only admission letter candidates should collect should come from JAMB.
“These candidates, out of desperation, the university will give them an admission letter and they will go and register, and when they get stuck in the middle of nowhere, they will now be mounting pressure on JAMB that the institution said they should come to JAMB for regularisation. And when we refuse to regularise such admission, they will be saying we are frustrating them.”
Responding to inquiry on the commission’s investigation of IMSU on admission racketeering, Bakare said, “It is true; the ICPC is undertaking some investigations at IMSU. The focus (of the investigation) is on admission racketeering, as reported by JAMB.
“The JAMB admission portal CAPS was compromised and 230 fake admission letters were traced to IMSU. Four individuals, including one Dr. Simon, were detained for two days only at a facility in Owerri, Imo State, but they now report every Tuesday at the ICPC office in the state.
“Though further investigation is ongoing, there is enough evidence to sustain prosecution. The IMSU registrar and the admission officer were interviewed in Abuja but never detained. The investigation is continuing. The matter will soon be in court.”
Meanwhile, a source, who spoke anonymously to PUNCH Metro over fears of being sacked, said the case of admission racketeering was a lingering issue in the institution, adding that staff members were fond of selling admission to non-qualifying applicants who scored low in JAMB’s UTME.
The source, during a conversation with our correspondent on Monday, said some of the staff members invited by the ICPC regarding the case include the institution’s Director of Admissions, Ndubuisi Ubaku; the registrar, Dr Julius Osuagwu, and others.
The source said, “The school management has been exploring all available options to ensure the matter is not public knowledge. This is admission racketeering, bordering on the fraudulent sale of admission to non-qualifying applicants who scored low in the UTME.
“At IMSU, admission is sold to the highest bidder, particularly children whose parents are wealthy. Admission to study medicine is sold at N1.5m; getting admitted into the law faculty, medical laboratory, nursing, optometry and other health sciences-related courses attracts N1.2m.
“All other disciplines’ admissions go between N300,000 and N800,000. The accused staff members invited by the ICPC included the Director of Admissions, Ndubuisi Ubaku, the registrar, Dr. Julius Osuagwu, and others.”
Explaining further, the source said aside from the sale of admission, the agents, who collaborated with some of the accused staff members, usually produced fake JAMB registration numbers to give irregular admissions to non-qualifying candidates, adding that when the students got to their final year, the agents reportedly demanded between N100,000 to N200,000 for JAMB regularisation from the students.
“All these people go to the ICPC office in Owerri every two days to register and sign, to ensure they will not run away. The investigation is ongoing. Imo citizens need to be aware of what is happening at the institution,” the source added.
The spokesperson for IMSU, Ralph Njokuobi, in his reactions to the allegations levelled against all the staff members mentioned in this report, said the case was still under investigation.
Njokuobi said, “Some of them (the staff members mentioned) were invited to come and explain. It is an allegation until it is substantiated. The investigation is ongoing and I don’t need to comment, even though the case hasn’t gone to court.
“The law says you are innocent until proved guilty. It is an allegation and if it is substantiated, they will face the music. There is no doubt about that. But they (accused officials) have continued to go to the ICPC for interrogation.”
Njokuobi, however, explained that the school did not know who was behind the 230 fake admissions issued to people who had been parading themselves as students of IMSU.
He added, “The management went on air to inform the general public that almost 230 students were given fake admission and whoever was behind it, we didn’t know because we have scammers who have surrounded both in and out of the university, which is a very large place.
“So, we announced the names (of the students with fake admission) to the public because JAMB officials came to our university and brought it to our attention that they didn’t clear them. We told the public that they (students with fake admission) were just parading themselves as our students and that they were not our students.”