TheCable

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has contracted security operatives to track individuals who used fake university certificates to apply for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

The NYSC management also confirmed that such persons will be brought to book even if they have collected discharge certificates.

A report had exposed a certificate racketeering syndicate in Benin Republic that sells university degrees to willing buyers in Nigeria.

During an investigation, an undercover reporter bagged a four-year university degree from Cotonou in six weeks.

The reporter used the fake certificate to participate in the NYSC scheme without detection.

Many stakeholders demanded a probe of Nigeria’s education ministry over a clearance issued to foreign universities.

The national assembly has also commenced an investigation into the alleged government complacency in the racketeering saga.

Ishaq Oloyede, the registrar of JAMB, said an ongoing investigation by the board had uncovered some fake certificates used for NYSC mobilisation.

The registrar said the examination board is in talks with the management of NYSC to “streamline” its mobilisation process and amend requirements to flag forged certificates.

Yushau Ahmed, the director-general of NYSC, said certificate forgery is a menace that threatens to compromise the scheme’s objectives.

He cited the case of an institution where students who did not graduate from there were found parading its name and matric numbers.

Ahmed stated that the institution presented a list that revealed that some of the students had already collected discharge certificates.

He said some on the list were found to be serving under the scheme while others did not report for mobilisation.

The NYSC DG said such students would be made to face the consequences of their actions even if they had completed the one-year service.