In a shocking incident, Bayero University authorities in Kano have apprehended two individuals, David Iluebe from Edo State and Chike Eke from Delta State, who were masquerading as lecturers and exploiting unsuspecting students.
The duo’s nefarious activities were brought to light when they entered a lecture hall at the Faculty of Engineering, introducing themselves as lecturers to 100-level students.
According to the Publication Secretary, Bala Abdullahi, “They presented a set of four different textbooks, claiming they were mandatory for the students’ Continuous Assessment (CA), threatening that failure to purchase these books would result in failing their courses.”
The students, fearful of the consequences, bought multiple copies of the books, unaware of the scam.
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However, their deceitful scheme was short-lived, as security operatives swooped in and arrested them on July 25, 2024, for suspected criminal trespass, impersonation, and cheating. During the preliminary investigation, the suspects confessed to the allegations, revealing that they were authors of the books and were “hustling to make a living due to a lack of job opportunities.”
The investigation further exposed that this was not their first attempt, as they had previously targeted students at Kano State Polytechnic.
The books in their possession were found to be of poor quality and mostly pirated, highlighting the extent of their deceit.
The university has condemned this incident, stating, “This is a disturbing emerging trend in our tertiary institutions, where crooks and charlatans masquerade as academicians to dupe and exploit unsuspecting students.”
The suspects will be handed over to the police for prosecution, and the university will conduct a sensitization effort to educate new students on this issue.
The management has also warned students and the general public to be vigilant, assuring that surveillance has been increased to prevent similar incidents.
