6th December, 2021
By Yinusa Ishola/Ado Ekiti
The Ekiti State University (EKSU) has said that about 113 students affected by fee payment scam flouted its directive on the mode of payment.
Mr Bode Olofinmuagun, the institution’s Head, Directorate of Information and Corporate Affairs, made the clarification in a statement on Monday in Ado-Ekiti.
Olofinmuagun said the clarification became necessary in order not to mislead and misinform parents and the public on the issue.
Olofinmuagun said the affected students disregarded the university’s policy on procedure for payment of fees and charges.
Reports said the scammed students lost about N10 million collectively, paying the 2018/2019 fees to wrong people.
But the university’s spokesman explained that the institution had put in place the implementation of e-collection policy for the payment of all fees and charges.
He added the policy was part of control measures to check fraud and other irregularities.
According to him, in line with the policy, the procedure for payment of fees and charges was uploaded on the university’s portal and website.
Olofinmuagun said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the procedure includes the use of username and personal password associated with each student.
“It was clearly stated that the release of username and password to a third party or external person is at the student’s risk.
“However, in spite of the warning and after thorough investigation, it was discovered that the defrauded students disregarded the policy on procedure for payment and on their own volition decided to pay their fees for the 2018/2019 academic session into the personal accounts of the fraudsters rather than the university’s designated and profiled bank accounts.
“During investigation, some of the defrauded students made confessional statements, while some of them, after realising their mistakes, had made correct and genuine payments into the university’s designated accounts.
“It is equally important to let the general public know that the perpetrators of the scam were arrested by a law enforcement agency and later released on bail.
“The university management wishes to assure that it would cooperate with the relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that those defrauded get their monies refunded.’’