By Uzair Adam Imam
Two persons, David Iluebe and Chike E. Eke, were apprehended by security personnel at Bayero University, Kano, for masquerading as lecturers and peddling textbooks to unsuspecting first-year students.
The impostors, hailing from Edo and Delta States, respectively, brazenly entered a lecture hall in the Faculty of Engineering and introduced themselves to the department’s lecturers.
According to a statement released by Bala Abdullahi, Secretary of the Information and Publication unit of the Acting Registrar, the duo presented four textbooks on various subjects, coercing students into purchasing them as a prerequisite for their Continuous Assessment, threatening failure if they didn’t comply.
The students, intimidated by the impostors, bought multiple copies to meet the supposed requirement.
However, their scheme was foiled when security operatives stormed the hall following a tip-off, arresting the pair on July 25, 2024, for suspected criminal trespass, impersonation, and cheating.
During the initial investigation, the suspects claimed authorship of the textbooks and confessed to the allegations, citing unemployment as their motivation.
They revealed this was their second visit to the state, having previously targeted Kano State Polytechnic earlier in the year.
The seized textbooks were of poor quality and believed to be pirated. This incident highlights a disturbing trend of charlatans infiltrating tertiary institutions, exploiting unsuspecting students.
The university management has warned students to be vigilant and has intensified surveillance to prevent similar incidents. The suspects will be handed over to the police for further action.