Operator of fake college arrested after defrauding students

Hauwa Abudu

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt Zonal Office,  have arrested a fake school operator allegedly awarding the National Certificate of Education (NCE) and Bachelor of Education degree without authorization and accreditation.

The suspect, John Ogbonnaya, was arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He allegedly registered Havana International School of Arts and Science in 2017 with two other suspects, Monday Nwapi and Mrs Justina Okafor.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said: “They are holding lectures in two centres in Port Harcourt:  Brilliant International Schools,  Nsukka Street, Diobu and Paragon Citiy Light College, Agip area.   Since the inception of the main school, scores of unsuspecting students have been defrauded and made to pay for Application Forms , School Fees and Project Fees. The students were made to believe that Havana International School of Arts & Science was affiliated to four different institutions:  Abia State College of Education( Technical); Ebenezer College of Education, Edda, Ebonyi State,  Enugu State College of Education and University Of Calabar, Cross River State.”

Uwujaren explained that investigations by the Commission showed that, Havana International School of Arts and Science had no valid affiliation with any of the four Institutions. The National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE, had in 2008 barred all Colleges of Education in Nigeria from operating Satellite Campuses or Study Centres. Havana School of Arts and Science allegedly flouted the directive and was operating illegally.   The suspect will soon be charged to court.