The Ondo State Public Complaints, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption Commission (OSPFACC) has interrogated two lecturers of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic (RUGIPO), Owo, over allegations bordering on examination result manipulation and administrative misconduct within the institution.
The lecturers invited for questioning are Mr. Oluwasegun Olowoyo of the Department of Languages, who teaches Communication-in-English, and a former Head of Department, Mr. Segun Aminu.
The commission’s intervention followed a petition dated January 29, 2026, submitted through the Office of the Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. The petition alleged academic fraud, administrative malpractice, and the suppression of whistleblowers, implicating certain staff members and elements within the institution’s management.
According to the petition, Mr. Olowoyo allegedly awarded a grade in GNS 202 (Communication in English) to a student identified as Fademiluyi, who reportedly did not sit for the examination. Another lecturer, Mr. Oladiran Akindiyo of the Public Administration Department, was also accused of circumventing established academic procedures in connection with result alterations.
The petition further alleged that some members of the institution’s management shielded those involved while taking retaliatory action against departmental heads who resisted the irregularities. It described the removal of certain Heads of Department as an abuse of administrative authority.
In his statement before the commission, Mr. Olowoyo reportedly admitted to inserting the name and score of a student who did not participate in the examination, explaining that he acted under intense pressure.
“I did not set out to commit academic fraud,” he stated. “In 2025, I was approached by the chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), Mr. Saka Olakungboye, through my former HOD, Mr. Aminu, to help insert the name and score of a student who had a carryover.”
He explained that although he initially refused, he later yielded after persistent pressure, citing concerns that the student might have to wait another academic session to retake the course. He expressed regret over his action, insisting that he neither requested nor received any personal benefit.
“It was a serious lapse in professional judgment under pressure. I deeply regret my action and appeal to the commission to temper justice with mercy,” he said.
The former Head of Department, Mr. Aminu, who was also invited by the commission, denied any involvement in the alleged manipulation. He refuted claims that he introduced anyone to Mr. Olowoyo or had prior knowledge of the result alteration.
“I did not introduce Mr. Olakungboye to Olowoyo. I had no knowledge of any falsified result,” he stated, explaining that the matter was brought to his attention by another staff member who questioned the student’s marks.
According to him, he set up a committee to investigate the issue and invited Mr. Olowoyo for clarification. He alleged that the lecturer initially denied knowledge of the result and declined to sign it, claiming it originated from another department. He added that Mr. Olowoyo later submitted a result sheet bearing the student’s name, insisting that she had written the examination.
Commenting on the development, the Executive Secretary of OSPFACC, Prof. Adewole Adeyeye, described the falsification of academic records as a serious ethical and legal violation capable of undermining institutional credibility.
“The falsification of marks for any student is a grave offence. It poses serious ethical and legal concerns and erodes the integrity of our educational system,” he said.
Prof. Adeyeye warned that allowing unearned grades to stand could devalue certificates issued to deserving graduates. He assured that investigations were ongoing and that all individuals connected to the allegations would be invited for questioning, irrespective of status.
He added that anyone found culpable would face prosecution in accordance with the law. Meanwhile, the affected lecturer has been granted bail pending the conclusion of investigations.
The Hope
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