The Provost of Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET), Professor Raheem Akewushola, has condemned a case of admission fraud after a cybercafé operator allegedly swindled a woman of ₦1.5 million with false promises of securing her admission into the college.
The matter came to light after the victim (name withheld) petitioned the institution when the promised admission failed to materialise.
According to a statement released on the Lagos State Government’s official X handle on Sunday, the complainant initially paid ₦500,000 to the suspect, identified as Mr. Arapatile, as part of the supposed admission process.
When no admission followed, Arapatile reportedly assured her that she could still attend classes and obtain a certificate. However, when she demanded a refund, he allegedly threatened her, prompting the petition to LASCOHET management.
“During interrogation by the Management of LASCOHET, led by the Provost, Professor Akewushola, Mr. Arapatile confessed to the allegation, claiming the admission was not for LASCOHET but for a professional body, CIMB, where he claimed to be a liaison officer. He could not, however, provide the full meaning of the acronym. Stamp pads of some institutions were also recovered from his shop during a preliminary investigation. Further investigations are ongoing,” the statement read.
The Provost warned the public not to transact with Arapatile, stressing that he is neither a staff member nor an accredited agent of LASCOHET.
“Our administration has zero tolerance for such acts. We will pursue all available avenues to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure they face appropriate sanctions,” Akewushola declared.
In a related development, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Carol Chinyelugo Arinze-Umobi, announced that the institution has begun a crackdown on admission racketeering.
She confirmed that disciplinary action had been taken against a staff member (name withheld) for allegedly extorting ₦400,000 from the mother of a prospective student with the promise of securing admission into the Faculty of Medicine.
ADEOLA KUNLE
