Certificate Racketeering: Undercover Reporter Worries Over Safety
- NANS President Benin Republic demands his arrest
Nigerian investigative journalist, Umar Audu, has raised an alarm over the possible threat to his life and safety following the recent report that exposed fake certificate syndicates operating in universities located in the two West African countries of Benin Republic and Togo.
Audu, who said it is worrisome that the security system in Nigeria does not give journalists the confidence to do their jobs without fear of victimization, however, admitted not receiving any open threats to his life.
Explaining that he has kept away from public glare as part of prioritizing his safety, the reporter told Channels Television; “There is a lot of concern from friends and family members regarding my safety. They have been genuinely worried, and as a journalist, I believe I should be allowed to carry out my job without any threats or intimidation.
“This situation highlights the type of society we live in, where journalists should be able to conduct their work peacefully and be assured of their safety. I want to use this platform to call on the authorities to ensure my protection, though I am currently in a safe place.
“However, I am uncertain about what might happen next, as I have been giving interviews and my report has gone viral without any threats so far. I hope the government remains vigilant and if there are any threats, I will promptly reach out to them to ensure I receive the necessary protection.”
On the amount spent to acquire the phony certificate, he said; “I spent roughly N600,000. I did not go to the border; I only gave an Immigration officer to help me get an ECOWAS passport and a backdated stamp of Nigerian Immigration and Benin, which I spent N150,000.”
Meanwhile, in a sudden twist of events, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Benin Republic, Ugochukwu Favour, has demanded the arrest of Umar Audu for going undercover to expose corruption in the issuance of certificates in the two Francophone nations.
Favour slammed the reporter for having his passport stamped and obtaining certificates without being physically present, saying; “Your passport was stamped while you were not available there. Now, and that aside, this guy served in 2019. And he still served again in 2023”.
He claimed that by his action, the reporter implicated the government and also questioned the credibility of agencies like the Immigration Service and National Youth Service Corps by going undercover, adding; “He has to be arrested. This guy needs to be arrested because, I know, he’s a reporter who is trying to clear out some things but on that note, you are trying to implicate some persons now because, in a sense, you’re trying to implicate the government, the NYSC and the immigration.”
