A Plateau State court has sentenced two men to one and a half years’ imprisonment each for forging academic certificates linked to the Federal University of Education, Pankshin.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Dr Jere Ndazhaga, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing in Jos, where he revealed that the university uncovered a syndicate involved in producing and issuing fake academic results and certificates.
The convicts, identified as Friday Tunkyes and Harvey Obed Ringsum, were arrested following the presentation of a suspicious certificate at the university’s Examinations and Records Section.
“I have been overseeing the affairs of the institution for the past four months, and it is important to state clearly that the university recently uncovered a nefarious activity of a syndicate specialising in forging, altering academic results and issuing fake certificates,” Ndazhaga said.
He described the development as alarming, adding that it was incompatible with the values and standards of the institution.
“This development is both disturbing and unacceptable to the university management,” the vice-chancellor stated.
According to him, the case came to light when an individual complained that a certificate issued to him had not been uploaded on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board portal. A routine verification by staff of the Examinations and Records Section immediately revealed inconsistencies in the document.
Ndazhaga said the matter was escalated to the university’s security unit, which subsequently alerted the Divisional Police Office in Pankshin. Further intelligence led to the involvement of the State Intelligence Department.
“Based on credible intelligence, we discovered that criminal elements were producing fake results and certificates bearing the name of the university,” he said.
He explained that undercover operations led to the arrest of Tunkyes on November 18, 2025, in Mikang Local Government Area, while Ringsum, from Mangu Local Government Area, was arrested the following day.
“During the operation, numerous forged certificates of different academic qualifications and an official emboss stamp of the institution were recovered from the suspects,” Ndazhaga revealed.
Following investigation and prosecution, the suspects were convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction and sentenced to one and a half years’ imprisonment each. They are currently serving their sentences at a correctional facility.
Ndazhaga said the convictions were intended to serve as a warning to others.
“This action is meant to serve as a strong deterrent to anyone who may contemplate engaging in similar criminal acts,” he said.
The vice-chancellor urged employers and organisations to always verify certificates presented to them, stressing that the university would not tolerate actions capable of damaging its reputation.
“There is no shortcut to knowledge. Every genuine certificate issued by this institution represents years of rigorous academic training, character formation and integrity,” he said.
He also called on members of the public to report any suspicious activities that undermine the education sector, noting that safeguarding academic credibility was a collective responsibility.
