Security Agents to Pursue Nigerians with Fake Foreign Certificates, Declares Education Minister.
In a recent interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, Education Minister Tahir Mamman announced that security agents would actively pursue individuals in possession of counterfeit certificates from foreign countries, who are exploiting them to secure opportunities within Nigeria. Mamman emphasized that these individuals should be regarded as criminals rather than victims.
“I have no sympathy for such people. Instead, they are part of the criminal chain that should be arrested,” sternly stated the minister during the interview.
Mamman outlined the government’s strategy, indicating that they would investigate institutions and operators that have been in operation for a significant period. “If a particular institution or operator has been operating, say in the last 10 years, we will check if we can get records of Nigerians who attended that institution,” explained Mamman. He emphasized that there is no timeframe for criminality, and once identified, these individuals would be pursued by security agencies.
The minister highlighted the government’s intention to expand its scrutiny beyond Benin and Togo. “We are not going to stop at just Benin and Togo. We are going to extend the dragnet to countries like Uganda, Kenya, even Niger, where such institutions have been set up,” Mamman stated.
The move comes in response to an undercover journalist’s revelation of acquiring a degree from a university in Benin Republic in under two months and subsequently participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The Federal Government promptly suspended accreditation of certificates from Benin and Togo, launching an investigation expected to conclude in three months.
As the government takes a proactive stance against the use of fake foreign certificates, Mamman affirmed that stringent measures would be implemented to maintain the integrity of educational qualifications in the country.