The National Association of Nigerian Students President for Benin Republic, Ugochukwu Favour has called for the immediate arrest of an investigative reporter, Umar Audu, who went undercover to expose corruption in the issuance of degree certificates in the country.
Favour made this known when he appeared on a Channels TV programme Sunrise Daily on Thursday, saying that the journalist was wrong for taking steps that would likely raise doubt about the credibility of the Nigerian system.
He said, “It (certificate racketeering) is a crime. We’ve not had experience about that. We’ve not seen anything about that before. So this one is just something that actually went viral on social media.
“So it has drawn the attention of virtually both the government and everyone. So that’s why the government took the necessary decision they took. But I really want to say something. There’s a point I really want to clear out on air because I want to have a conversation with this guy who is called the reporter alright, because this step he has taken, alright, because he’s trying to doubt the credibility of the government.
“For example, after he finished, his passport was stamped right and he was not present there. So you are trying to doubt the credibility of the immigration. I don’t know if you understand what I’m trying to say because your passport was stamped, while you were not available there. Now that aside, this guy served in 2019. And he still served again in 2023. So, you are still doubting the credibility of NYSC because if someone has served before, he can’t serve again.”
“He has to be arrested. This guy needs to be arrested because I know he’s a reporter who is trying to clear out some things, but on that note, you are trying to implicate some persons now because, in a sense, you’re trying to implicate the government, the NYSC and the immigration,” he added.
Reports emerged on Tuesday that the Nigerian government announced the suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Benin Republic and Togo.
This was contained in a statement on Tuesday, January 2, signed by Augustina Obilor-Duru on behalf of the Director Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education.
The government later said it would be extended to more countries like Uganda, Kenya and Niger Republic.
The decision had followed an investigative report which exposed how “some Nigerians deploy nefarious means and unconscionable methods to get a degree with the end objective of getting graduate job opportunities for which they are not qualified.”
Favour also appealed to the Nigerian government to review the blanket ban on certificates and degrees from higher institutions in the Benin Republic.
Favour said, “We have over 15,000 Nigerians studying in that country alone. The ban will affect legitimate students who are at various levels of their studies. We are not saying the government should not punish anybody who has engaged in criminal acts, but it is not in all the universities that such a thing is happening.”
“Also, it is not all the students that are involved in such terrible acts. While one agrees that the undercover reporter has helped to expose some misdeeds, he also breached certain conventions in the process. Our appeal is that let the guilty ones be punished, spare the innocent,” he stated.
According to Saharareporters, the National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC) had also explained how the undercover reporter, who had earlier been mobilised for the compulsory one-year programme in 2019 was mobilised for the same programme in 2023.
The Director of Public Affairs, NYSC, Mr Eddy Megwa, said the reporter changed his email address and phone number to be drafted again into the scheme.