With many senior lecturers found to have been involved in illegalities, sources accused the Ag. Coordinator of the Academy, Prof Umar Sani, Commandant, Abdurrahman Ahmad and other top management staff members of the institution of covering up.
The Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State is currently enmeshed in a wide-scale certificate forgery and age falsification scandal, SaharaReporters has gathered.
With many senior lecturers found to have been involved in illegalities, sources accused the Ag. Coordinator of the Academy, Prof Umar Sani, Commandant, Abdurrahman Ahmad and other top management staff members of the institution of covering up.
They also accused the institution of using ‘sharp practices’ which include 'borrowing' of lecturers, equipment and personnel to deceive the National Universities Commission (NUC) during the accreditation of courses.
A top management staff member of the academy added that following certain interests, corruption and fraudulent practices are rife and always covered up in the school.
In a document seen by SaharaReporters, the Ag. Coordinator of the police university, Prof Umar Sani, confirmed that there are many staff members with fake PhD certificates, fake promotion letters and improper placements among the lecturers.
Sani in the document however said he doesn’t want to sack all those involved from government job.
One of the affected lecturers is one Suleiman Mohammed Saye, who was alleged to have forged a PhD certificate from the University of Ibadan.
SaharaReporters gathered that despite all the allegations against the lecturer, including petitions to the NUC and Inspector General of Police, the academy authorities have continued to shield him.
Instead of presenting his certificate, sources said Saye sued a whistleblower, Dr Goddy Osa Igbaekre for alleged defamation of character.
“When the academy was trying to kick off, the advert for a lecturing job was announced. Psychology was one of the departments that were created then, so they advertised for psychologists to apply but unfortunately, people who read educational psychology, which is a core education course applied.
“Having applied, they were employed in the psychology department. So one Mohammed Saye happens to be among those that have certificate issues. He read Islamic studies as his first degree and educational psychology as a master's which is an educational course. Though he says it’s development psychology, some will say Guardian and Counselling. He has no PhD certificate in his file.
“So Dr Goddy now raised an alarm, that there are some lecturers in the department that are not academically qualified to lecture in the institution. He mentioned their names, there was one who was even the HoD of psychology then.
“The police academy is where once you are connected with those principal officers, you will get a job even if you are not qualified. So Mohammed Saye was one of the affected lecturers. The psychology department has 11 lecturers, but only four of them are qualified to lecture in the department. So when NUC came, NUC insisted that a qualified lecturer should be made the HOD first before they could accredit psychology as a course in the academy.
“NUC said Saye and six others aren’t qualified to lecture in the department. So the management made one of those four qualified lecturers the HoD. But guess what, immediately after the accreditation, they removed the qualified lecturer and made Saye, who is parading a fake PhD certificate, the HoD. Apart from not being fit to head the department, he can only lecture at the faculty of education and not the psychology department.
“So Dr Goddy wrote to the NUC and copied the IGP, drawing his attention to the irregularities happening in the academy. He was invited to the Force headquarters where he submitted all documents to back up his petition.
“Now Saye is charging Goddy that he defamed his character by claiming he is not qualified. He went to the magistrate to report Dr Goddy instead of presenting his certificate.
“The academy is the home of irregularities, do you know there are departments here that have only two lecturers, like Physics and Accounting, yet two people sit to give almost two to three cadets first class every year.
“During the accreditation, they borrowed lecturers from other schools who came and pretended to be working here, some of these guys are even planning to sue the academy cause they weren’t settled after the accreditation. Imagine, out of 11 lecturers in the psychology department, just 4 are qualified according to NUC. Even Saye is not qualified.”
A letter dated May 30, 2022, from the Ag. Registrar, Charles U. Egwumba for the Acting Coordinator, to Goddy Osa Igbaekemen through the Head of Sociology Department, obtained by SaharaReporters is titled 'Re: Police Wireless Message Court Case At Chief Magistrate Court Nomansland, Kano State'.
It reads, "The attached police wireless message with reference no: DTO: 251223/05/2022 refers. I am directed to warn you and to unfailingly report (sic) and honour the invitation accordingly.
"The Head of Department is hereby directed to release you."
A letter from Goddy to the Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Federal Secretariat, Abuja, dated January 12, 2022, also obtained from SaharaReporters, is titled 'Re:Breach of Code of Conduct in Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State by Suleman Saye on Forged PhD Certificate in Developmental Psychology Never Awarded To Him By The University Of Ibadan With The Registrar, Mr Charles Egumba on Abuse of Office And Powers'.
It reads, "I write to formally complain against one Suleyman Saye and the Registrar of the Nigeria Police Academy, Kano State on violations to Code of Conduct. Specifically, Saleyman Saye claimed to have obtained PhD in Developmental Psychology between 1991 and 1998 in the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan.
"Sir, his Curriculum Vitae (CV) personality profile and department of Psychology academic staff list are attached and marked Annexture A, B, and Chile his PhD Certificate obtained in the University of Ibadan is on Faculty of Education with Matric Mo 50210 dated 9th November, 1988. The PhD and MEd certificates are also attached and marked Annexture 2A and B.
"Sequel to the above, these certificates have on (sic) relevance in Nigeria Police Academy, therefore, he decided to turn PhD in Education to Developmental Psychology to have relevance in tacit collusion with the Registrar of the Academy. Unfortunately, every effort to bring this Saye to book proved unsuccessful. Hence, this complaint is to unravel the mystery behind the scene and to serve as a deterrent to others in the academy (sic) profession, please."
When contacted to respond to the allegations against him, Saye asked our correspondent to contact the spokesperson for the institution.
“I’m not position to talk on any matter, talk to the PRO,” he said.