How Lagos cafe operator scammed admission seeker of N500,000

Lagos State College of Health Technology, LASCOHET, has sounded a note of warning to the public after a cyber café operator allegedly defrauded an admission seeker of N500,000 under the pretext of securing admission into the institution.

According to a petition submitted to the Provost of LASCOHET, Prof. Raheem Akewushola, the victim, who sought admission to study Health Assistant, alleged that the suspect demanded N1.5 million for the process. She reportedly paid N500,000 as part of the agreement but was neither offered admission nor refunded.

The applicant claimed that when the promised admission did not materialise, the suspect assured her that she would eventually receive a certificate without attending classes. Disturbed by the irregular arrangement, she demanded a refund. Instead, the suspect allegedly resorted to threats to silence her.

In a statement issued on Sunday night, Prof. Akewushola condemned the fraudulent activity and disclosed that during interrogation by LASCOHET management, the suspect confessed to the allegations.

The suspect later attempted to justify his actions by claiming that the money was not meant for LASCOHET but for an unspecified professional body identified only as “CIMB,” for which he claimed to be a liaison officer. However, he could not explain the full meaning of the acronym.

“Stamp pads from various institutions were also recovered from his shop, and further investigations are currently ongoing,” the provost revealed.

Akewushola stressed that the suspect is neither an employee nor an agent of LASCOHET and cautioned the public against engaging in any dealings with him.

“Anyone who chooses to transact business with him does so at their own risk,” he warned.

How Lagos cafe operator scammed admission seeker of N500,000