The House of Representatives has approved a 10-year security cover for investigative journalist Umar Audu following his explosive undercover report that exposed a thriving certificate racketeering syndicate involving degree mills in the Benin Republic.
Audu, a reporter with Daily Nigerian, had detailed how he obtained a university degree without attending a single class and subsequently had it verified by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education after allegedly paying a bribe of N40,000.
Chairman of the ad hoc committee investigating the scandal, Hon. Abubakar Fulata, disclosed the House’s resolution at a session in Abuja.
He said the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been directed to provide round-the-clock protection for the journalist for the next decade.
“We commend Umar Audu for his bravery and selfless patriotism,” Fulata said.
“We urge the Minister of Interior to ensure that security agencies, especially the NSCDC, provide him with the protection necessary to preserve his safety and dignity.”
The House’s action follows weeks of public outcry after Audu’s exposé revealed how fake academic qualifications were being procured and authenticated for use in government and the private sector.
The investigative hearing also featured the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who described the report as alarming.
He disclosed that the Federal Government was working towards launching a centralised, automated system for educational verification to block loopholes exploited by syndicates.
“While this incident did not occur under the current administration, we acknowledge the system’s failure,” Tunji-Ojo said.
“We are taking steps to build a unified portal that can verify certificates in real-time and prevent future abuses.”
Representing the Minister of Education, Mr. Olatunji Alausa, was a Director in the ministry, Mrs. Larai Ahmed, who revealed that the department responsible for clearing forged certificates had undergone a complete overhaul.
“The process has now been tightened with new verification layers to ensure no such scandal reoccurs,” she said.
In a related development, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed that the scheme had adopted biometric verification to scrutinise the authenticity of certificates submitted by prospective corps members.
“Our systems are now more robust. We regret the lapses that led to this situation and are committed to preventing a recurrence,” he assured the lawmakers.
The House reaffirmed its commitment to rooting out academic fraud and pledged to pursue comprehensive reforms to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s education system and public service institutions.
The joint committee on University, Polytechnic, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Youth Development is continuing its investigation into the certificate racketeering scandal.
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