SSS Nabs Suspect Over Illegal School

The State Security Service in Cross River last Friday, announced the arrest of a 40-year-old man for using an illegal school to issue fake degree and certificate to people.

Mrs Mary Otubu, the State Director, Department of State Service, Cross River Command, paraded the suspect, Babatunde Cole, before journalists in Calabar.

Otubu told newsmen that the suspect had been running a “co-educational consult’’ in Lagos before he was apprehended by SSS operatives on July 31 in Lagos following a tip off by authorities of the University of Calabar.

She said Cole deceived recipients of the certificates, diplomas and degrees into believing that they were issued by the University of Calabar.

She said the “illegal satellite campus“ was used by the suspect to award post-graduate degrees, professional certificate and post-graduate diplomas to unsuspecting members of the public.

Cole told newsmen that he would not have been involved in the business if he knew that it was illegal.

The suspect said he started the business about eight years ago and had, so far, issued 50 Post Graduate certificates and 100 fake Masters Degree certificates from his school.

He said he normally charged N98, 000 for Post Graduate Diploma and N245, 000 for a Masters Degree.

Also speaking, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), UNICAL, Prof. Okon Ekpa, appealed to members of the public to stop patronising frauders.