Lawmakers in the National Assembly have reportedly set up a new bribery scheme targeting federal universities and other tertiary institutions, demanding millions of Naira in exchange for approving budget allocations.
An investigation by PREMIUM TIMES reveals that members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives have been extorting funds from university officials. Senators and members of the House Committees on Tertiary Education and University Education have allegedly been demanding N8 million from each of Nigeria’s 60 federal university vice chancellors in exchange for approval of their 2025 budgets.
According to the report, the lawmakers expect to collect N480 million in total, with the payment divided into two parts: N4 million to the Senate Committee and N4 million to the House Committee. In order to evade detection, two vice chancellors from the North Central and North West regions have been assigned to coordinate the payments.
Sources claim that lawmakers are using intimidation and threats to force the vice chancellors into compliance. In a meeting on January 16, 2024, the House Committee, led by Hassan Fulata, allegedly threatened to investigate and expose the vice chancellors who refused to cooperate. Several vice chancellors have expressed frustration over the continued demands for bribes and have voiced concerns about the possibility of facing probes if they do not comply.
One vice chancellor, speaking anonymously, described the situation as hostile, with lawmakers criticizing the VCs for their reluctance to comply, unlike other agencies that have paid up without protest. In response to complaints, the lawmakers reportedly became more aggressive, issuing threats of investigations and humiliation.
The extortion scheme, while not new, has escalated this year, with the N8 million demand marking a significant increase from last year’s N5 million request. The investigation also revealed that lawmakers are using complex methods to launder the money, utilizing multiple bank accounts and proxies to make the transactions harder to trace.
The allegations are reminiscent of similar cases uncovered in 2023, when a bribery scheme targeting universities, colleges, and polytechnics was exposed. However, there has been little progress in holding lawmakers accountable for these actions. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) has reportedly not made much headway in investigating these claims.
The vice chancellor of the Federal University of Gusau, Muazu Gusau, has reportedly become a primary target for the lawmakers due to his refusal to comply with their demands. The lawmakers allegedly threatened to “deal with” Gusau for being “stubborn,” although the specifics of the threat remain unclear.
Despite these challenges, many vice chancellors are reportedly growing increasingly reluctant to comply with the demands as they continue to face multiple extortion schemes from different committees within the National Assembly.
Efforts to contact Hassan Fulata, the chairman of the House Committee on University Education, for comment on the allegations have gone unanswered.
The continued extortion is placing a strain on the educational sector, raising serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the budget approval process in Nigeria.
