The Provost of Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET), Professor Raheem Akewushola, has raised alarm over a case of admission fraud in which a cybercafé operator allegedly defrauded a woman of ₦1.5 million under the guise of securing her admission into the college.
The case came to light after the victim, whose name was withheld, petitioned the institution when the promised admission failed to materialise.
According to a statement released on the Lagos State government’s official X account on Sunday, the complainant initially transferred ₦500,000 to the suspect as part of the fraudulent arrangement.
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When no admission was secured, the operator, identified as Arapatile, allegedly promised she would still be allowed to attend classes and obtain a certificate.
When she insisted on a refund, he reportedly threatened to silence her.
The matter was escalated to LASCOHET’s management, where Arapatile was interrogated.
He reportedly confessed, claiming the payment was meant for a professional body known as CIMB, where he posed as a liaison officer. However, he was unable to provide the full meaning of the acronym.
Stamp pads of various institutions were also recovered from his shop during a preliminary investigation.
Professor Akewushola cautioned the public against dealing with Arapatile, stressing that he is neither a staff member nor an accredited agent of LASCOHET.
“Our administration has zero tolerance for such acts. We will ensure that perpetrators face the full weight of the law,” the provost declared.
In a related development, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Carol Chinyelugo Arinze-Umobi, announced a crackdown on admission racketeering in the institution, after a staff member was sanctioned for allegedly defrauding an applicant’s parent of ₦400,000 under similar circumstances.
