Cotonou Uni Degree Swift as Pizza Delivery – Undercover Reporter
Undercover journalist Umar Audu recently uncovered the ease with which one could obtain a university certificate from a Cotonou-based institution in Benin Republic within just six weeks.
In his investigative report titled “How Daily Nigerian reporter bagged Cotonou varsity degree in 6 weeks,” Audu revealed a thriving syndicate engaged in the illicit trade of selling university degrees to willing buyers in Nigeria, operating in neighboring African countries like Benin Republic and Togo.
Audu exposed the process, likening it to ordering a pizza, where payment guarantees the swift delivery of the certificate. Despite previous government interventions following a similar investigation in 2018, Audu found that the illegal activities persisted.
An intriguing aspect of Audu’s report is that he obtained not only the certificate but also the school’s transcript, both bearing the authentic scan code of Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies (ESGT) in Benin Republic.
The affordability of these fraudulent documents added to the alarming nature of the revelations.
Following Audu’s investigation, the Federal Government took decisive action by suspending the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.
Notably, Audu conducted the entire investigation without leaving Nigeria.
The issued certificate, allegedly earned by the undercover reporter in 2018 with a graduation date of September 5, 2022, further disclosed that he successfully used the fake credential to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme without detection.