Police Take Over as Kogi Poly Unmasks Certificate Forgers Operating Within Campus

The management of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has handed over four suspected certificate fraudsters to the police for investigation and prosecution after uncovering an organised forgery ring operating within and outside the institution.

The Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Usman Ogbo, disclosed this while parading the suspects at his office on Thursday, noting that the syndicate was exposed through the school’s robust internal security and verification system.

According to him, the suspects, identified as Amina Mustapha, Mfom Asuquo, Danjuma Mercy Sunday, Abubakar Musa, Adejoh Faith, Ademu Rilwanu, and Henry Tope — were implicated following intelligence reports and a joint verification exercise conducted by the institution’s Admissions, ICT, and Security Units.

“One of the suspects, Amina Mustapha, who claimed to be a graduate of Computer Science from the Polytechnic, came boldly to request the issuance of original certificates for her National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND). Upon scrutiny of her records, we discovered she never attended Kogi State Polytechnic, and her matriculation numbers do not exist in our system,” the Rector said.

Prof. Ogbo explained that further investigation revealed a deeper network of internal and external collaborators, leading to the suspension of five staff members, including a Deputy Registrar, for their alleged roles in the forgery. He added that one staff member, Mr. Dominic Egwuda, is currently on the run.

“The principal suspect in the forgery, Henry Tope, was paid ₦70,000 to forge certificates for the said Amina Mustapha. When our security team searched his house, they recovered 30 original certificates of the Polytechnic bearing various names and eight different official stamps of the institution used for the forgeries,” he said.

Ogbo stated that the suspects have now been handed over to the police for full investigation and possible prosecution.
However, the Rector expressed concern over the slow pace of judicial processes, which, he said, had delayed the prosecution of suspects previously arrested for similar offences since 2020.

“Our fear is that as much as we want investigation and trial of these suspects without delay, the judiciary has been too slow in prosecuting such cases. Those arrested in 2020 for similar crimes have yet to be prosecuted to date, which is worrisome,” he lamented.

Reaffirming the institution’s zero-tolerance stance against academic fraud and unethical conduct, the Rector warned that any student, staff, or external collaborator found guilty would face both institutional discipline and legal consequences.

“We shall not relent in exposing and eliminating all forms of misconduct capable of denting the hard-earned reputation of Kogi State Polytechnic,” he assured.

Professor Ogbo also expressed appreciation to the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, for his continued support in strengthening the school’s physical and security infrastructure, which has made such discoveries possible.

“We appreciate Governor Ododo for providing the support and funding that have fortified the Polytechnic against internal and external security threats,” he added.