By Prisca Nguzo
Two Hundred and Thirty students of the Imo State University, IMSU, Owerri are on the verge of being expelled from the institution following the allegation that they got their admissions through fraudulent process.
Recall that IMSU has been under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board over an allegation of admission racketeering involving some staff members of the institution.
And in a bid to get the matter investigated, the JAMB officials were said to have alerted officials of the ICPC to the fake 230 admissions traced to the university.
Speaking, the spokesperson for JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that the 230 students whose names were on the fake admission letters traced to the school were also interrogated.
Benjamin said, “Yes, 230 fake admission letters were traced to IMSU. We took the matter to the ICPC and close to 10 staff members were arrested. Those involved in the admission office of the university were arrested and the VC was helpful as he ensured that all staff members involved, even those in his office, were not spared.
“Even the 230 students whose names were on the fake admission letters were also interrogated and their admission would be withdrawn. Some of the students are in the 400 level, and some are in the 300 level but whoever is involved will certainly lose that admission.
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Responding, the spokesperson for IMSU, Ralph Njokuobi, Njokuobi explained that the school did not know who was behind the 230 fake admissions issued to people who had been parading themselves as students of IMSU.
He said, “The management went on air to inform the general public that almost 230 students were given fake admission and whoever was behind it, we didn’t know because we have scammers who have surrounded both in and out of the university, which is a very large place.
“So, we announced the names (of the students with fake admission) to the public because JAMB officials came to our university and brought it to our attention that they didn’t clear them. We told the public that they (students with fake admission) were just parading themselves as our students and that they were not our students.”
Meanwhile, when Society Mirror secretly interviewed some sources close to the varsity, they disclosed that the case of admission racketeering was a lingering issue in the institution, adding that staff members were fond of selling admission to non-qualifying applicants who scored low in JAMB’s UTME.
“At IMSU, admission is sold to the highest bidder, particularly children whose parents are wealthy. Admission to study medicine is sold at N1.5m; getting admitted into the law faculty, medical laboratory, nursing, optometry and other health sciences-related courses attracts N1.2m. All other disciplines’ admissions go between N300,000 and N800,000." one of the sources revealed.
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