The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) are currently investigating Imo State University (IMSU) in Owerri, Imo State, over allegations of admission racketeering involving some staff members. The investigation was triggered when JAMB officials discovered that the admission portal had been compromised, leading to the identification of at least 230 fake admission letters issued by IMSU.
In response to the discovery, JAMB officials alerted the ICPC, and a joint operation was launched to investigate the matter. As a result, close to 10 staff members of the institution, including the Director of Admissions, Ndubuisi Ubaku, the Registrar, Dr. Julius Osuagwu, and others, were arrested and questioned. The investigation also involved the interrogation of the 230 students whose names were found on the fake admission letters.
According to Fabian Benjamin, the spokesperson for JAMB, the admission letters were traced to IMSU through an automated admission process called the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS). The system allows JAMB to monitor the movement of students from the point of admission to their progression and graduation. During the monitoring process, discrepancies were found between the numbers approved by JAMB and those observed at IMSU, leading to the involvement of the ICPC.
The investigation revealed that money had been exchanged between the students and some of the staff members involved in the admission racketeering. As a result, the admissions of the implicated students will be withdrawn, and the ICPC will take over the case for prosecution.
Demola Bakare, the spokesperson for the ICPC, confirmed that there is enough evidence to sustain prosecution and that the case will soon be charged to court. He also mentioned that the investigation is ongoing and that more individuals may be implicated.
The allegations of admission racketeering at IMSU have raised concerns about the integrity of the university’s admission process. According to an anonymous source within the institution, admission is allegedly being sold to non-qualifying applicants who scored low in JAMB’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The source claimed that admission to popular courses like medicine and law could be sold for as much as N1.5 million, while admissions to other disciplines ranged from N300,000 to N800,000.
Ralph Njokuobi, the spokesperson for IMSU, stated that the case is still under investigation and that the accused staff members have been cooperating with the ICPC. He emphasized that the university does not know who was behind the issuance of the fake admission letters and that the names of the affected students were publicly announced to clarify that they were not officially admitted to IMSU.
The ICPC and JAMB’s investigation into the admission racketeering at IMSU highlights the importance of maintaining transparency and integrity in the admission process. It serves as a reminder to students and parents to only accept admissions that have been approved through the official CAPS system and to report any suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.