A Federal High Court sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa state, has sentenced Mr. Olaniran Satiregun, Rector of the International College of Administration, Science and Technology, to seven years imprisonment for offering unapproved courses and defrauding students.

The conviction was announced on Tuesday in a press release issued by Demola Bakare, spokesperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

According to the ICPC, Satiregun and his institution were found guilty of admitting students into unauthorized programmes including Nursing, Public Health, and Computer Science between 2019 and 2021. This occurred despite the institution having approval from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to offer only four accredited courses.

The lead prosecutor, Mr. Adesina Raheem, presented evidence showing that one of the victims, Onmonya Daniel Ogah, paid N110,000 for admission and tuition into a fraudulent three-year programme that had no proper accreditation.

In her judgment, Justice Anyalewa Onoja-Alapa ruled that Mr. Satiregun was guilty of all charges brought against him and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment without the option of a fine.

The court also ordered that all fees collected for the illegal programmes be refunded to affected students. Additionally, the institution was directed to restrict its operations strictly to the courses approved by the relevant regulatory bodies.

This case highlights the growing concern over unaccredited educational institutions in Nigeria that continue to exploit unsuspecting students seeking higher education. Educational experts have repeatedly warned prospective students to verify the accreditation status of institutions and their programmes before enrollment.

The ICPC's successful prosecution demonstrates increased efforts by regulatory bodies to crack down on educational fraud, which has become prevalent across various states in the country.

For prospective students, this case serves as a reminder of the importance of conducting thorough research before committing financial resources to any educational institution.

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