The Taraba State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Joseph Joshua, is under scrutiny for allegedly obtaining a fake degree from a university in Benin Republic, according to a petition submitted to the State Security Service (SSS) and the state police command.
The petition, dated 15 January and filed by Jalingo-based legal practitioner Nasiru Muhammed on behalf of social activist Sulaiman Adamu, raises concerns about the authenticity of Mr. Joshua’s degree.
The petition suggests that the commissioner submitted questionable documents during his screening at the Taraba State House of Assembly, including a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Information Technology from ESGT University, Benin Republic.
The petition states, “Our client informed us that, based on his preliminary investigation, he has discovered that there was never a time Mr. Joseph Joshua left this country to Benin Republic for the purpose of studies.”
Mr. Joshua, in response to the allegations, stated, “I have no comment. Let the security do their job.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Taraba, Usman Abdullahi, mentioned that he had not yet seen the petition, indicating it might still be undergoing administrative processes.
It’s worth noting that the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, recently inaugurated an inter-ministerial committee to investigate foreign universities accused of awarding fake degrees to Nigerians, following revelations of degree certificate racketeering.
The investigative panel is tasked with examining allegations within both foreign and private universities in Nigeria.
