Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) has dismissed a staff member, Garba Ahmed, after discovering his involvement in the illegal upload of unqualified students for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). In a statement issued by the university’s spokesperson, Ismaila Yauri, the decision was confirmed to have been approved during the institution’s governing council’s 176th meeting held on Wednesday. The dismissal takes effect from April 1, the date of the meeting.
“Malam Garba was found guilty of illegally uploading unqualified students for NYSC mobilisation,” the statement noted. “The University Governing Council maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward acts of serious or gross misconduct.” Mr Ahmed had been working in the university’s registry department, where he had access to the list of graduates eligible for NYSC mobilisation. Typically, only graduates who have fulfilled all academic requirements—including result clearance and fee payments—are mobilised. These results are first validated by the university senate before being forwarded to the registry.
A similar incident occurred two years ago when the National Youth Service Corps withdrew over 100 certificates after discovering fraudulent mobilisation linked to the University of Calabar. The institution later disclosed that it uncovered the irregularities and reported them to the NYSC, which subsequently withdrew the certificates.
According to the NYSC, 99 individuals were illegally mobilised for national service between 2021 and 2023, while two others were issued exemption certificates. The one-year national service scheme remains compulsory for Nigerian graduates aged 30 or below at the time of graduation, while those above that age are granted exemptions.
To strengthen verification processes, the Nigerian government has introduced the National Credential Verification Service (NCVS), a system designed to authenticate academic certificates. Issued by the Nigerian Education Repository and Databank, the NCVS is now a mandatory requirement for NYSC mobilisation. It assigns a unique national credential number (NCN) to certificates issued by Nigerian tertiary institutions and is also used to verify the qualifications of new government employees.
Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/
