Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
What appeared to be an ordinary three-bedroom apartment tucked away in the Ilado community of Olorunda Local Council Development Area in Badagry, Lagos State, was, in reality, the centre of an alleged sophisticated academic and recruitment fraud that lured over 100 young people from across Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with promises of foreign university admission. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Badagry Area Command, uncovered the alleged fake university operating from the rented apartment and rescued 106 youths, mostly aged between 19 and 24, while arresting the suspected proprietor of the illegal institution. The operation, carried out in the early hours of Monday, July 20, 2026, followed days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance by NSCDC operatives after receiving credible intelligence about suspicious activities at the location.
The Badagry Area Commander of the NSCDC, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, confirmed that the command acted on reliable intelligence about the activities at the apartment. He stated that officers monitored the premises for days before moving in, and have taken the students into protective custody while the alleged proprietor is assisting with investigations. Preliminary investigations revealed that the so-called institution had no official name, signboard, registration with relevant education authorities, recognised affiliation with any foreign university, or physical campus beyond the residential apartment. It allegedly operated entirely online, presenting itself as a distance learning centre affiliated with a foreign university, and relied on digital communication to create the illusion of legitimacy.
The victims were reportedly recruited through online advertisements and social media platforms that promised admission into an overseas tertiary institution. Applicants were allegedly informed they had been successfully admitted after paying what were described as admission, registration, and processing fees. Victims reportedly paid between ₦200,000 and ₦1.5 million, while some foreign nationals from neighbouring countries allegedly paid between $400 and $500. Many believed they were enrolling in a recognised international distance-learning programme, only to find themselves inside an ordinary apartment masquerading as a university campus. The youths reportedly came from different parts of Nigeria, including Kogi, Oyo, and several northern states, while others travelled from Niger, Cameroon, and Togo after being recruited online.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the scheme was its recruitment structure. Authorities believe the operators did not merely recruit students as applicants but encouraged them to become recruiters themselves, promising financial commissions for introducing new students into the programme. The system operated similarly to a referral-based marketing or Ponzi-style structure, where earnings increased as participants enrolled more people. One rescued victim reportedly admitted that after paying $400, he persuaded his brother in Kogi State to enrol and had already begun earning commissions from the referrals. The NSCDC also uncovered another layer of the operation, with some of the youths allegedly involved in promoting unidentified products online while receiving percentages from sales and recruitment.
Chief Superintendent Ekunola expressed concern that many parents were completely unaware of what their children were actually doing in Badagry. He disclosed that the command had started contacting the families of the rescued youths, with one parent revealing that their child had informed the family that they came to Badagry to learn a trade, not to attend a university. The NSCDC said it would profile every victim and work towards reuniting them with their parents and guardians after investigations, while vowing that everyone found culpable in operating the alleged fake institution would face prosecution in accordance with the law. The development has raised fresh concerns over the growing activities of fraudulent online admission schemes targeting young people seeking educational opportunities, particularly foreign academic programmes. The NSCDC is expected to expand its investigation to determine the full extent of the alleged network, identify other collaborators, and establish whether similar operations are being run in other parts of the country.
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