Police arrest 65-year-old man for issuing fake varsity certificates in Ekiti

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a 65-year-old man identified as Olugbenga Akinola, for allegedly issuing fake university certificates to students in the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, who disclosed this while addressing journalists at the command’s headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on Thursday, April 17, 2025, said the suspect and one other individual, Sunday Adesanmi, claimed to be running an affiliate center with Kwara State University.

The CP noted that the suspect, who is popularly referred to as a “professor,” defrauded many students by enrolling them and issuing university degrees, including Master’s degrees, for years.

According to him, one of the victims who visited the main campus of the institution in Kwara State was informed that the certificate he was parading was fake and not issued by the university.

“Based on credible intelligence received on 18/02/2025 by detectives of this department, a syndicate was discovered to be illegally and unlawfully operating a Kwara State University study center in Ado-Ekiti, where several Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees were issued to unsuspecting members of the public,” the CP stated. 

“They both conspired to defraud some students and issued fake certificates. The university authorities were consulted, and they denied any connection with the center and its operators.

Eribo disclosed that the sexagenarian and his accomplice have been arraigned in court for offences bordering on fraud, impersonation, among others.

The Commissioner of Police also revealed that the command arrested no fewer than seven suspects over allegations of raping minors across the state.

He noted that the command, under his leadership, is determined to continue its operations to make the state safe and secure for its citizens.

While calling on residents to support the police with credible information on criminal activities in their communities, Eribo assured the public that the command would do everything possible to ward off criminal elements from the state. 

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