The management of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has uncovered a nine-member syndicate allegedly involved in large-scale certificate racketeering and document falsification within the institution.
Rector of the polytechnic, Prof. Salisu Ogbo, disclosed this during a press conference on Friday in Lokoja.
According to him, five staff members have been suspended, while four individuals parading themselves as students have been arrested in connection with the forgery scheme.
“Only recently, the management uncovered a syndicate involving some students, non-students, and a few dishonest staff members accused of manipulating academic records in clear disregard of due process and institutional values,” Prof. Ogbo said.
He revealed that investigations so far have led to the discovery of 30 forged original certificates allegedly sold to unsuspecting buyers.
“The suspects forged National Diploma (ND) results in the name of Kogi State Polytechnic and had the audacity to apply for Higher National Diploma (HND) admission in the same institution using the fake results,” he added.
The rector noted that the fraud was exposed through intelligence gathering and verification exercises jointly conducted by the institution’s Admission, ICT, and Security Units.
“These individuals compromised our security arrangements and tampered with the security features on our Statements of Result,” he said.
Prof. Ogbo further stated that the culprits colluded with result processors to falsify results for students who had multiple carryovers but failed to complete their examinations — giving them the appearance of legitimate graduates.
He described the act as “an assault on the credibility and reputation of our institution,” warning that those found guilty would face severe disciplinary and legal consequences.
Reassuring the public, the rector emphasized that Kogi Polytechnic’s quality assurance and security mechanisms remain active and uncompromised.
“We will not relent in exposing and eliminating all forms of misconduct capable of denting the hard-earned reputation of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja,” he vowed.
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