It has become necessary for the Management of Kogi State Polytechnic to once again brief the members of the press and the general public on a matter of serious concern regarding the integrity of our academic system.
As you may recall, before we came on board, the academic integrity of the institution was always in the news for the wrong reasons. This was because of the activities of some individuals who forged security documents, particularly the statement of results.
Then, it was alarmingly easy for individuals to forge and print Statements of Result of the Polytechnic at business centres. Some even had the audacity to present such forged results back to the Polytechnic, and to the same department they allegedly ‘graduated’ from.
Upon assumption of duties, the trend and threat prompted us to change the Statement of Result template to a more secure version.Since then, we have successfully minimised the forgery of our Statements of Result to the barest minimum.
In addition we have also implemented comprehensive reforms across all sectors of the Polytechnic, aimed at achieving academic excellence and restoring the integrity of the institution.
In the same vein, we introduced stringent measures to enhance quality assurance, stamp out irregularities and curb sharp practices.
Our first major success in this regard was the discovery and exposure of the SarkinNoma Magic Centre in 2020. It was a fake examination centre where some impostors were caught writing examinations with the Polytechnic’s official answer booklets. You may recall that those involved were promptly apprehended, paraded and handed over to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
However, the case is still pending in court.
While we appreciate the success we have recorded so far, it is disheartening that the Polytechnic has once again uncovered document falsification syndicate involving some students, non-students and a few dishonest members of staff who conspired to manipulate academic records in flagrant disregard of due process and institutional values.
Following intelligence reports and routine verification exercises by the Admission, ICT, and Security Units, a detailed investigation was launched in collaboration with relevant law enforcement agencies.
Investigation revealed shocking levels of audacity and deceit. Some of the suspects forged National Diploma (ND) results in the name of Kogi State Polytechnic and had the temerity to apply for Higher National Diploma (HND) admission in the same institution using the forged ND results. Even more alarming, others forged both ND and HND results and had the gut to apply for the collection of original certificates for the same fabricated results.
These individuals compromised our security arrangements and tampered with the security features on our Statements of Result.
They colluded with result processors to prepare results for individuals who had multiple carryovers but refused to sit for their examinations, thereby falsely portraying them as graduates.
Such criminal acts represent an assault on the credibility and reputation of our institution, and they cannot be allowed to go unpunished.
The recent cases uncovered in this regards are:
- Amina Mustapha who was never our student, but forged our Forgery of ND and HND results and attempted to use same to obtain original certificate in connivance with some members of staff in Exams Unit.
- MfonAsuquo who was our student that absconded with multiple carryovers only to fraudulently obtain our statement of result and attempted using same to obtain original certificate in connivance with same members of staff in Exams Unit.
- Dansuma Mercy Sunday who connived with one Abubakar Musa (our student with matriculation number 2024/HND/URP/052, Adejoh Faith (our student with matriculation number 2024/HND/OTM/179, Ademu Rilwan (our student with matriculation number 2024/HND/BUS/158 and Henry Tope; a former student identified as the mastermind of the syndicate forging statement of result.
We are pleased to inform the public that four suspects involved in the forgery of statement of result were apprehended during registration. They have been handed over to our security unit, whose investigation led to the unmasking of the broader syndicate behind this academic fraud.
For record purpose, let me re-emphasise the case of Amina Mustapha earlier mentioned. She appeared alongside a staff member, Mr. Dominic Egwuda, to collect ND and HND certificates in Computer Science. Upon scrutiny by the Admissions Unit, discrepancies were noticed. Investigation revealed that Amina never attended Kogi State Polytechnic, and her matriculation numbers were nonexistent.
Further investigation led suspension of five (5) staff members, including a Deputy Registrar. Mr. Dominic Egwuda, whose name repeatedly appears in this saga, has refused to honour our invitation and is presently on the run.
In another disturbing discovery, one Henry Tope, a former student of the institution had in his possession 30 forged Statements of Result bearing different names and programmes. Security operatives also recovered several fake official stamps, stamp pads and admission letters bearing different names and programmes from his residence.
Let me state unequivocally that Kogi State Polytechnic maintains zero tolerance for academic fraud, result falsification, and all forms of unethical conduct. Any staff member, student, or external collaborator found culpable will face the full wrath of the law in addition to institutional disciplinary measures
While some may feel we are hasty in going public, our position remains that we must act within the limits of authority and transparency as we do not want a repeat of the Ayeni case of 2020, which has lingered without resolution.
We wish to assure the general public, stakeholders, and the Polytechnic community that our quality assurance measures and security mechanisms remain fully active and uncompromised.
We shall not relent in our effort to expose and eliminate all forms of misconduct that is capable of denting hard earned reputation of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.
All individuals involved in this forgery scandal will be immediately handed over to the Police for further investigation and diligent prosecution to serve as a deterrent to others.
