Date Published: 09/13/09

Sex-for-Admission rocks Ahmadu Bello University

…UBEC Executive Secretary, three others indicted

…It is my personal business -Modibbo

Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed, UBEC Executive Secretary	Dr. Sam Egwu, Nigeria’s Education Minister	Dr. Alkassum Abba, Sole Administrator, Adamawa State University, Mubi

How did three lecturers in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria-Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed, Aminu Ladan and Alkassum Abba-indicted for using their offices to oil a sex-for-admission syndicate end up “rebranding” themselves into the juiciest positions in Nigeria’s education sub-sector?

This is one huge nut the ABU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), whose members are on strike to press for improved conditions of service, are seeking to crack. The lecturers have therefore vowed to carry on their strike until what they consider a riddle is solved.

The permanent secretary, federal ministry of education, Dr. Goke Adegoroye had recently ruffled several feathers in the academia by publicly accusing university lecturers of often seeking sexual gratification from female students in exchange for grades. The Presidency at whose behest Adegoroye made the declaration gave him a grating reprimand.

However, facts emanating from ABU suggest that Adegoroye may not be wrong after all.

For through 1995 and 1996, the troika of Modibbo, Abba and Ladan wangled 17 young but beautiful ladies who did not have the requisite “O” Level and JAMB requirements into ABU to study History, Modibbo’s specialty. In exchange, Modibbo, Abba and Ladan enjoyed regular sex sessions with the girls.

However, by 1997, the chicken, as they say, had come home to roost. With the syndicate uncovered, the 17 impostors were expelled. The school’s disciplinary committee headed by Alhaji Abubakar Gimba recommended that the three lecturers who ran the sex-for-admission syndicate be sacked. Gimba, a retired permanent secretary and a former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANAN), is now economic adviser to Senate President David Mark.

Three years after their indictment, however, precisely in March 2000, kingpin of the ABU sex-for-admission syndicate, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed was appointed Director, National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna. In 2007, after overstaying his tenure in NTI, Modibbo was “redeployed” to displace Dr. Lami Amodu as Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). Amodu had just spent four months out of five-year tenure in UBEC.

Modibbo’s lieutenant in the syndicate, Dr. Aminu Ladan was appointed head of NTI in March 2008, after displacing a certain Dr. Patrick Onyekwere who held forte for a very tempestuous six months. Ladan is said to have almost single-handedly written the doctoral thesis of the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abba Ruma Sayyadi.

On his part, Modibbo’s Man Friday in ABU, Dr. Alkassum Abba, who was said to be responsible for securing the guest houses where they often had the sexual orgies, is the Sole Administrator of Adamawa State University, Yola.

Pointblanknews.com, apart from being in possession of vital documents establishing amoral ties between Modibbo, Abba and Ladan and the 17 girls who were expelled in the wake of the scandal, also spoke to some former students of Modibbo.

According to a former student of the UBEC boss, “our Oga’s (Modibbo’s) trouble began the moment we noticed that some of our less intellectually endowed classmates like Aishatu Mohammed, Jummai Abdulrazaq and Fatima Daku, who to the best of our knowledge couldn’t get simple spellings right, were scoring higher grades in every test and examination, and in history of all departments.

“With no sign of the anomaly abating, we decided to stop it ourselves by embarking on a demonstration. Somehow, Modibbo got wind of our plans and immediately set up a screening committee headed by his bosom friend, Alkassum Abba. With the screening committee in place, they proceeded to set a trap for the faculty officer,” submitted Modibbo’s former student.

The former student told Pointblanknews.com how Modibbo as Dean of the faculty of arts and social sciences, had sought to frustrate the faculty officer and possibly force him out of ABU on grounds of negligence.

“When Alkassum’s (Abba’s) committee began sitting, some of us knew all that was happening through one of his (Modibbo’s) girlfriends. These girls were in a class of their own, so rich and powerful. They made the best grades in class, which was surprising because we knew they didn’t speak good English.

“The committee had a serious disagreement with the faculty officer because Abba and Modibbo were in support of messengers going to bring student files from the faculty officer. The faculty officer insisted that it was wrong as file handled that way could be tampered with. Modibbo stood his ground, obviously to cover his tracks. One of the girls actually boasted at the time that Abba’s committee would put a seal of legitimacy on her ‘shaky admission,’” the former student told Pointblanknews.com.

The former student narrated how strikingly beautiful the 17 expelled female students were, adding, “The curious thing was that they were all in our history department, where Modibbo was lecturer and dean of faculty.”

Pointblanknews.com is in possession of documents confirming our source’s claims. One of such documents was ironically deposed to by the screening committee of the faculty office and submitted to the Abba committee.

According to the submission dated by Aishatu Hassan Mohammed with Matriculation number U93HS1029, in addition to being fraudulently admitted to read history was the “alleged girlfriend of Dr. M. A. Mohammed,” history lecturer appointed dean of faculty. The full names of the UBEC boss are Modibbo Ahmed Mohammed.

Aishatu, the committee discovered, had “two statements of results from Kaduna State Polytechnic which are suspect” and “fraudulently stated in MIS form- 01 that she has B2 in Grade II when the cited result with Exam. No. 003/0123 in May/June 1990 indicated that the result was pending.” This same Aishatu, a divorcee-single mother, is said to be the owner of Binani Ventures, the most patronized company by UBEC under Modibbo.

“She (Aishatu) was not qualified going by her qualifications in the result submitted (i.e. 003/0123 of May/June 1990) for admission to the university history programme. No student with diploma in Public Administration (Pass) should have been admitted to read history (Modibbo’s class),” observed the committee.

The committee further raised the following posers on Aishatu: “Admitted into ABU through Special Admission/Transfer for 1993/94. How could this be possible? From which university is (sic) she transferring to ABU? Certainly she was not in any university so the mode of admission is irregular and fraudulent,” concluding, “This is a clear case of withdrawal and those responsible for her admission and irregular screening should be investigated.”

Apart from Aishatu, the committee noted that another alleged girlfriend of Modibbo, Abdulrazaq Jummai, with Matric. Number U93HS1035 was withdrawn from ABU because “she has no JAMB score, JAMB number, not in ABU master list” and failed to give the date of her “O” Level result.

The committee noted that even though Jummai superimposed her JAMB registration number 201802EJ “on the examination result list (typed in with the typewriter with a different character to the computer printout)” she nonetheless “secured” admission to read history in Modibbo’s class.

On Daku Fatima, with Matric. Number U92AY2008, the committee discovered that she altered her 1985 “O” Level F9 in English to C5, “transferred in 1992 from B.Ed. Sociology to B.Sc. Sociology with CGPA of 1.86; then in 300L.” Notwithstanding her fraudulent results, observed the committee, Fatima “was cleared by Musa Kano a lecturer/screening officer to read 400L history,” concluding, “Her relationship with the Dean, Dr. A. M. Modibbo (current UBEC boss) and Mallam A. Abba chairman of the screening committee (and Modibbo’s errand boy) is alleged to be warm.

If the committee felt they had seen enough of Modibbo’s ingenuity in altering the results of female students, they were dumbfounded by the case of Raji Bilikisu, with Matric. Number U92EC1170.

“The permanent home address of this student (Bilikisu) is No. 10 Plateau Close, Area A, ABU Zaria, where Dr. A. M. Mohammed resides. And here contact address is c/o Mrs. S. A. Modibbo, UBA Plc, Zaria Branch, Kaduna State,” uncovered the committee.

It was further discovered that, “the original registration form 1992/93 was removed in the file by Dr. A. M. Mohammed (the dean, now UBEC boss) and one of the screening officers and instead a photocopy was inserted to cover up the alterations.” The committee further observed that “the (Bilikisu’s) form should have been signed by Mallam Yau Ahmed or Barrister Sule for the Dean in 1992/93 and NOT Mallam Mamman Adamu a current screening officer. This is fraudulent.”

In the case of Amaukwu Chizoba, Matric. Number U92EC1277, the committee found out that while the number on a 1992 WAEC master list matched hers, the result however bore the name “Aronu Chinwe Maureen” and that she didn’t have any JAMB score.

Noted the committee: “Her (Chizoba’s) fraudulent result was removed in the file earlier collected by Mallam A. Abba on 2 nd May, 1996” kept for seven months and “returned on 4 th November” only to collect it again “on 6 th November, 1996 (i.e. after two days).

“A new result (not the fraudulent 1992 but 1994 and 1989 “O” Level was introduced. The signatures of all the registration officers at the department and faculty were clearly forged. All the forms were photocopied, the originals were absent,” submitted the committee.

Testifying before the Abba committee, a Principal Assistant Registrar of the University, Lawal Bala Isa, submitted in writing said he was at a loss as to why “the former Dean, Dr. A. M. Mohammed and Mallam Abba connive to challenge the faculty officer initially on his documented insistence on 4 th April, 1996 for ‘proper custody, movement and security of files’…then turn around hypocritically to claim that the files not in the custody of the faculty office were tampered (with) by faculty office staff ?”

Lawal Isa was also livid as to why Modibbo and Abba would “cover-up screening officers who engaged in fraudulent activities,” as well as “feign ignorance of fraudulent alterations of students’ academic records directly linked to both of them under strong circumstances?”

Pointblanknews.com investigations reveal that the bubble burst for Modibbo and his sex-for-admission syndicate about February 1996 when Lawal Bala Isa took over from a certain S.M. Onwuaroh as faculty officer, faculty of arts and social sciences. Modibbo at the time was the dean of the faculty.

In Onwuaroh’s handover notes dated 23 rd February 1996, the disengaging faculty officer was full of lamentations on how Modibbo had frustrated every effort of his to take proper custody of the academic records of students in the faculty.

“Normally it is the duty of the faculty officer to take absolute control of all administrative matters and assign committees to his subordinates in the administration. My experience is that it is not so in FASS (faculty of arts and social sciences) for reason (sic) beyond my comprehension,” regretted Onwuaroh.

He lamented that “administrative instructions were being issued left, right and centre to various officers in the faculty at one time or the other without regard to the need to centralize and coordinate such directives through the faculty officer,” charging his successor, “You have a duty to redress the situation.”

Unknown to the new faculty officer, the challenge to redress the situation would soon pitch him against Modibbo’s syndicate. For close to a year, Faculty Office Lawal Isa vainly battled to save the files of students’ academic records from developing wings.

Just as Lawal was about giving up, Modibbo, in a curious twist, secured the nod of General Mamman Kotangora to set up a committee to investigate the case of missing students’ academic records. The late Head of State, General Sani Abacha had appointed Kotangora the university’s Sole Administrator in the wake of the perennial crisis that culminated in the murder of the school’s Chief Medical Director, Bamidele Bandipo.

Modibbo had in response to a memo dated 30 th January, 1997, from Mallam Alkassum Abba, his surbodinate staff and key member of the admissions’ syndicate, on 20 th February, 1997 minuted the following to his faculty officer,: “I have received the approval of the SA (Sole Administrator General Mamman Kotangora) to investigate into this and I have constituted a committee in the FAC and they will get in touch with you. Please prepare submission.”

Four days after Modibbo’s minute to the exasperated faculty officer, the kangaroo committee summoned Lawal to appear before it.

“I wonder why Mallam Abba should constitute himself into the faculty committee and feel along with the Dean (Modibbo) that the faculty office should not be intimated timely with material evidence of any irregularity?” queried Lawal, when he appeared before the committee.

He added: “What is the basis of this mistrust and secrecy? What is the basis of accusing the faculty office of alteration of academic records of students when these files are largely in the custody of the persons (Modibbo and Abba) making the allegations?” Lawal is the current Director of Administration, National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).

Pointblanknews.com investigations revealed that in an ironical twist, Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed, Alkassum Abba and Aminu Ladan, who first blew the whistle on the admission scandal, would be the first to be hauled into the labor market. Also shown the way out of ABU were Sani Usman, Abubakar Sarki and Musa Kano, who is said to have since died.

However, reports have it that no sooner had the committee wound up than Modibbo and members of his syndicate began to pressure political and traditional leaders to intervene by mounting pressure on General Kotangora not to implement the committee’s report.

Also sensing that their Sole Administrator was verging on succumbing to such pressures, some officers in the faculty, it was gathered, fired a petition to Kotangora challenging him to implement the report on Modibbo and his sex-for-admission syndicate.

It was this petition, investigations revealed, that prompted Kotangora to refer Modibbo and his indicted colleagues to the Abubakar Gimba disciplinary committee.

Contacted, a cautious Kotangora confirmed setting up the Gimba committee. He also recalled referring some lecturers to the committee for “disciplinary action.” The former Sole Administrator however declined to give further details on the identities of the lecturers and what happened thereafter.

“You know it is a long time ago, so I cannot recollect all the details you seek. Yes, some lecturers, I remember, were accused of sleeping with female students and running an admission racket or something. But honestly, I can’t recall the names now because it is a long time ago. But I can tell you we did our best to sanitize ABU because the rot at the time was much,” offered Kotangora.

He also declined to respond to questions on whether some traditional rulers, particularly the Lamido of Adamawa, who was also the chancellor of the university, pressured him into giving Modibbo and his indicted colleagues a soft landing.

On his part, Gimba, who headed the disciplinary committee recalled “entertaining a number of cases involving lecturers with certain misdemeanor” in ABU and “asking at least two of them to resign their appointments,” but like Kotangora failed to give details.

But Modibbo, who spoke to Pointblanknews.com from his mobile telephone 08033109858, neither confirmed nor denied appearing before any fact-finding or disciplinary committee of ABU.

The conversation went thus:

Modibbo: Hello! My PA (personal assistant) said you called saying it was important we spoke. Who am I speaking with, please?

PBN: Odion, sir. I write for Pointblanknews.com.

Modibbo: Oh, Pointblanknews? People have been using you guys to write so much falsehood about me and UBEC. You see…

PBN: That is not true. On the contrary, we have been publishing easily verifiable stories about UBEC. All our stories have been supported with documents. In fact, we have made every human effort to reach you, but you and your people won’t talk. The last time we got chairman of your board, Professor Tunde Adeniran on the telephone, he requested we send a questionnaire via email. He never responded even after we followed up with sending it as a very lengthy sms. We saw the same questionnaire a few days later in The Nation newspaper, with Adeniran claiming they were some of the threat messages he had had to contend with. And in any case, if there is anybody that is being used, what makes you think that person couldn’t be you?

Modibbo: Oh, I’m sorry to have said that. I withdraw the statement in its entirety. I am sorry. This time, how may I help you?

PBN: That is okay, Doctor. We are doing a story and wish to know when you resigned your appointment in ABU.

Modibbo: Why do you ask?

PBN: We have this story you left ABU in 1997. Another has it that you left in 2000, so we felt you were in the best position to clear this dust.

Modibbo: I will not answer that question because I don’t know how when I left ABU became you business. For your information, I am still with ABU.

PBN: You mean you never resigned your appointment after you were appointed Director, NTI and now Executive Secretary, UBEC?

Modibbo: You can go to ABU to check the records. But I can’t tell you when I left ABU because that it my private life.

PBN: That is okay. But were you ever invited to appear before any disciplinary panel that sat over admissions irregularities?

Modibbo: Why do you also ask? The records are there and whoever is insinuating I left ABU, whenever they think I did, in controversial circumstances is just being used by disgruntled elements in UBEC who would rather it was business as usual. You see, I have spent the better part of my life building a very sound reputation and I will not stand and watch some elements destroy it simply because I insist that due process be adhered to.

PBN: Mr. Executive Secretary, it would have done us a world of good if you saved your breath and time by answering my very simple questions. Can you please tell us when you left ABU, and the circumstances surrounding your exit? How true is it that you were responsible for the illegal admission of 17 female students who were later expelled from ABU?

Modibbo: My friend, I am sorry to say this, but I don’t think I can continue with this conversation. I really appreciate your efforts to reach me. People can say anything they like, but I am unperturbed because I know I have done no wrong. Somebody once described himself as the most investigated President in the world. In my case, I think I am the most investigated Chief Executive in the world. All the same, it has been nice talking with you. Thank you.

Also speaking an official of the ABU chapter of ASUU told to Pointblanknews.com that lecturers in his school were “sick and tired of a federal government that takes special delight in rewarding only crooks and felons with plum political appointments,” adding, “the current administration’s maxim appear to be ‘dishonesty pays.’”

He fumed: “Look at Modibbo, Ladan and Abba who were our colleagues. Are they the best ABU can give the world? Of course, we can do better. Okay, you tell me, how would you feel today if you were a member of any of those panels that indicted these morally bankrupt sexual perverts? Wouldn’t you feel sorry that felons have taken over Nigeria’s education? Any wonder our education is in shambles?

“We all have been reading how they have been cooking the books and stealing money in their organizations. We are not impressed because they perfected the art of forgery several years ago when they we junior lecturers. Modibbo just got an anti-corruption award. God! I feel like puking. Don’t be surprised their names would feature in the next national honors list,” lamented the ASUU official.

“Now, the federal government is blackmailing ASUU into returning to teach, yet they keep turning a blind eye on fraudsters who have become billionaires simply because of their ethnic stock and godfathers. Agreed, we may not all be disciples of the legendary Dr.Bala Usman of blessed memory, neither are our father’s marabouts that they patronize day and night. We have intellect, and no amount of blackmail would make us budge,” he swore.