By: Sunday Ameh
The management of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has uncovered a certificate-forgery syndicate involving some staff and students, leading to disciplinary and legal actions.
The institution’s Rector, Prof. Salisu Ogbo, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Lokoja.
According to him, five staff members have been suspended while four individuals posing as students were arrested over their alleged roles in forging academic documents and manipulating institutional records.
“We recently uncovered a syndicate involving students, non-students, and a few dishonest staff members who manipulated academic records in clear violation of due process and the core values of the institution,” Prof. Ogbo stated.
He revealed that 30 forged National Diploma (ND) certificates were detected, allegedly sold to unsuspecting individuals who attempted to use them to apply for Higher National Diploma (HND) admission at the same institution.
Prof. Ogbo explained that the fraud was discovered through intelligence reports and routine verification operations by the Admissions, ICT, and Security Units of the polytechnic.
“These individuals compromised our security systems and tampered with security features on official documents. They also colluded with result processors to prepare grades for persons with multiple carryovers who failed to sit for examinations,” he said.
Describing the act as an assault on the institution’s integrity, the Rector vowed that the Polytechnic would not tolerate misconduct capable of tarnishing its reputation.
He assured the public that quality assurance mechanisms remain intact, adding that all suspects will face appropriate disciplinary and legal consequences.
“We will not relent in eliminating all forms of academic malpractice. Our reputation has been earned through years of hard work and must be protected,” he added.
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