The University of Lagos, UNILAG, has raised an alert over a disturbing wave of fraudulent activities involving the impersonation of its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS.
In an official statement issued Monday by the Head of the Communication Unit, Mrs. Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, the university revealed that scammers are targeting unsuspecting individuals on social media platforms—including LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and WhatsApp by falsely claiming to be the Vice-Chancellor.
According to the statement, the impostors lure victims into fictitious procurement deals, especially involving laptops and computers.
These scams often involve illegal proposals, such as 60/40 profit-sharing arrangements, demands for secrecy, and requests for upfront payments. The fraudsters operate via private email addresses rather than official UNILAG domains.
UNILAG has distanced itself from the fraudulent activities and reiterated its commitment to due process.
“Let it be unequivocally clear: the University of Lagos conducts all procurement activities through transparent, competitive processes in full compliance with Nigerian Procurement Laws,” the statement read.
“At no time would any legitimate representative of UNILAG, least of all the Vice-Chancellor, request upfront payments, propose kickback arrangements, or conduct official business through personal email accounts or social media platforms.”
The university has reported the matter to law enforcement and is working closely with security agencies to apprehend those behind the impersonation and bring them to justice.
In the meantime, members of the public have been advised to be vigilant and to verify any suspicious messages or requests claiming to originate from UNILAG leadership.
All official communications from the university are issued through institutional channels, and any inquiries can be directed to communicationunit@unilag.edu.ng or vcoffice@unilag.edu.ng.
The university reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on fraud and expressed its resolve to protect the integrity of its name and the safety of its stakeholders.
“We will not tolerate the misuse of our institution’s name or the impersonation of our officials for criminal purposes,” it concluded.