The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have been petitioned to investigate allegations of large-scale financial fraud, abuse of office, and administrative irregularities at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).
The petition, filed by a civil society organization — the Campus Concern Network (CCN) — and signed by its Convener, Comrade Kamal A. Odunjo-Saka, was also copied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Education, and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
According to the petition, the university, under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, has been “plagued by deeply entrenched corrupt practices that undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s higher education system and erode public trust in governance.”
Allegations of Financial Mismanagement and Diversion of Funds
The CCN cited findings from the university’s Internal Audit Compliance Committee Report (2023), which allegedly exposed multiple financial and procedural breaches, including:
Unauthorized payments and transactions executed without due approval or pre-audit clearance;
Duplicated vouchers and payments made without proper documentation;
Absence of valuation certificates for major contracts, raising questions about due process;
Non-existent procurements of items such as laptops and stationery purportedly purchased for FUOYE’s Ikole campus.
The petition further alleged that funds allocated for these procurements were diverted for personal use by key management staff, including the Bursar, Mrs. Adekemisola Adebolanle Debo-Ajagunna, the former Director of the Institute of Part-Time Studies (IPTS), Dr. Adeleke Omolade, and the Head of Procurement, Mr. Vincent Atemiola.
₦342 Million Allegedly Misappropriated Between 2021 and 2024
The CCN detailed alleged financial discrepancies at the Institute of Part-Time Studies (IPTS) between 2021 and 2024, referencing missing funds and falsified records. Among the claims were:
₦279.8 million allegedly diverted from administrative portal maintenance funds;
₦38.6 million in screening fees not reflected in official financial records;
₦24.3 million in handbook and orientation fees between 2021 and 2024 unaccounted for;
Missing academic and financial records purportedly used to conceal the true flow of funds.
The group also accused management of inflating or fabricating construction projects across FUOYE’s campuses, including reports of “ghost buildings” and substandard works.
A particularly notable allegation involved the “systematic diesel fraud” — where thousands of litres of diesel were reportedly consumed at the Vice Chancellor’s residence even while Prof. Fasina was on leave in the United States from April 14 to October 14, 2025.
Controversy Over Vice Chancellorship Appointment Process
Beyond financial allegations, the CCN accused the FUOYE Governing Council, chaired by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), of attempting to manipulate the upcoming Vice Chancellorship selection process.
The petition alleged that Prof. Fasina and Senator Ndoma-Egba were colluding to install Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole as the next Vice Chancellor through a “pre-determined and compromised process.”
The group pointed to the council’s compressed two-week timeline (October 23–November 6, 2025) for the selection exercise as evidence of deliberate manipulation, asserting that such haste “violates established procedures for Vice Chancellorship appointments in federal universities.”
Additionally, the CCN accused the Governing Council of violating a directive by the Minister of Education requiring all council meetings to be held on campus. Instead, the group alleged that meetings continue to be hosted in Abuja — incurring excessive costs on travel, allowances, and logistics — and that all stages of the current selection process are scheduled to occur there.
Calls for Federal Intervention and Forensic Audit
The petition urged the EFCC and ICPC to commence immediate investigations into the allegations and restrain the Vice Chancellor from leaving the country pending the conclusion of the inquiry.
It also called on the Minister of Education and the Accountant-General of the Federation to suspend the ongoing Vice Chancellorship selection process and establish a joint forensic audit committee comprising representatives of internal university unions and regulatory bodies.
“The pattern of abuse, concealment, and manipulation within FUOYE represents a broader crisis of governance in our tertiary education sector,” the petition concluded.
As of press time, the university authorities and members of the Governing Council had yet to issue official responses to the allegations.
