Police nab two fake lecturers at Bayero University Kano

Two individuals allegedly posing as lecturers at Bayero University Kano have been taken into custody for reportedly selling books to students under false pretenses.

A statement released by Bala Abdullahi, Publication Secretary of the university’s Special Bulletin, on behalf of the Registrar, confirmed the arrest of two individuals.

Two individuals, identified as D. Ilube and C. Eke, allegedly gained unauthorized access to a lecture hall in the Faculty of Engineering, where they reportedly misrepresented themselves as faculty members to first-year students.

“They then presented four different textbooks on the Use of English, Statistics, Nigerian People and Culture, and Algebra and Geometry Mathematics. They threatened the students, insisting that purchasing these books was mandatory for their Continuous Assessment (CA) and failure to do so would result in failing their courses,” the statement detailed.

Intimidated by these threats, many students bought the books. However, the suspects were soon apprehended by the university’s security team following a report.

“The security operatives arrested the two individuals on July 25, 2024, on charges of criminal trespass, impersonation, and cheating. During preliminary investigations, the suspects admitted to writing the books and confessed to the allegations, explaining that they resorted to this scheme due to unemployment,” the statement continued.

The suspects also revealed that this was their second visit to the state, having previously targeted Kano State Polytechnic earlier this year. The books found in their possession were of poor quality and suspected to be pirated copies.

“This is a troubling trend in our higher education institutions, with fraudsters posing as academicians to deceive and exploit students,” the statement added.

The university’s Publication Secretary, Bala Abdullahi, announced that the suspects will be transferred to the police for further investigation and potential charges. Additionally, the university plans to alert students about the incident to prevent similar occurrences. Abdullahi also noted that management has enhanced security measures to prevent future incidents of impersonation.