The National Open University of Nigeria said on Friday that it had identified and closed down five illegal study centres operating in different parts of Lagos.
The institution’s Director of Media and Information, Malam Ibrahim Sheme, explained that the decision was taken following reports from some concerned Nigerians.
He said that NOUN had to constitute a committee to monitor the activities of its study centres nationwide, in the interest of the general public.
He said, “We will continue to clamp down on the activities of such centres, whose main aim is to defraud Nigerians of their hard-earned incomes, given the economic situation in the country today.
“We just visited Lagos to monitor our centres and their operations and discovered five illegal study centres operating there.
“Anyone who wants to run a study centre must go through due process by officially registering with the institution, subject to meeting all the laid-down criteria.
“It is not by doing it illegally or by way of fraud. Those who discuss with NOUN for such purpose are given permission to do that, after meeting the prescribed requirements.”
Sheme said that all those found to have been operating the illegal study centres of the institution would be made to face legal action.
He also decried the collaboration of owners of some major schools by allowing operators of such centres to cite the centres in their institutions.
Sheme said that such school owners would also be prosecuted alongside the operators of the illegal study centres, stressing that ignorance of the law was not an excuse.
The institution’s Director of Media and Information, Malam Ibrahim Sheme, explained that the decision was taken following reports from some concerned Nigerians.
He said that NOUN had to constitute a committee to monitor the activities of its study centres nationwide, in the interest of the general public.
He said, “We will continue to clamp down on the activities of such centres, whose main aim is to defraud Nigerians of their hard-earned incomes, given the economic situation in the country today.
“We just visited Lagos to monitor our centres and their operations and discovered five illegal study centres operating there.
“Anyone who wants to run a study centre must go through due process by officially registering with the institution, subject to meeting all the laid-down criteria.
“It is not by doing it illegally or by way of fraud. Those who discuss with NOUN for such purpose are given permission to do that, after meeting the prescribed requirements.”
Sheme said that all those found to have been operating the illegal study centres of the institution would be made to face legal action.
He also decried the collaboration of owners of some major schools by allowing operators of such centres to cite the centres in their institutions.
Sheme said that such school owners would also be prosecuted alongside the operators of the illegal study centres, stressing that ignorance of the law was not an excuse.
