The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has uncovered an account opened by a foreign national to collect payments from Nigerians seeking fake six-week bachelor’s degrees abroad.
ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu disclosed the finding during a stakeholders’ advocacy event on asset tracing, recovery, and management, organized by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) in Abuja. The event was supported by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).
According to Aliyu, the account was discovered within weeks of investigation. Nigerian students were making payments into it in pursuit of the fraudulent academic certificates. Authorities have since obtained a civil forfeiture order on the account.
“We discovered that a foreigner opened an account in Nigeria, and Nigerian students were paying into it to obtain six-week degrees. We tracked the account and secured a forfeiture order,” Aliyu said. “Efforts are ongoing to bring the culprits to justice, especially those outside Nigeria.”
He stressed the need for stronger collaboration between anti-corruption agencies across borders to effectively tackle such transnational crimes. Aliyu also pointed to Africa’s long history of losing wealth through exploitation and corruption.
“We’ve been victims of illicit financial losses from the time of slavery to modern-day corruption,” he said. “We know where these assets are going, but the narrative always blames Africa. The victims are blamed while the looters remain protected. That’s why we’re working regionally to trace, recover, and repatriate stolen assets back to the continent.”
CeFTPI Executive Director Umar Yakubu, in his opening remarks, highlighted the importance of the gathering in building collaborative strategies for asset recovery, promoting transparency, and enhancing citizen engagement.
