Men of Abraka Police Division, Delta State have arrested one Bright Steves at the Delta State University (DELSU) Abraka for allegedly writing examinations for a student of Masters in Energy and Petroleum Economics (MEPE) at the University last Friday.
CPS Ahmed Hassan, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the station who confirmed the arrest of the suspect to newsmen, disclosed that the suspect, upon interrogation, claimed to have graduated in the same department some years back, and for lack of employment, he had to be involved in impersonation to eke a living for himself.
CSP Hassan further disclosed that investigation was ongoing as the suspect was currently being detained at the division for further investigation, adding that he will be charged to court on completion of investigation.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Victor Peretemode, who also spoke to newsmen, disclosed that the suspect, Bright Steves, was caught in the exams’ hall on Friday, adding that he was handed over to the Police at the Abraka Police station to be prosecuted.
Narrating the process that eventually led to the discovery of the impersonator, Professor Victor Peretemode said that the university’s security agents acted on intelligence gathering to arrest the suspect right inside the exams’ hall, adding “before he was caught, he had written first and second semester exams for last session on behalf of his master whom he confessed paid him N30,000 per course.
“We went to the Post Graduate School, brought out his file and printed his portrait at the ICT center, his passport photograph was authentic but it was different from the suspected impersonator sitting for the examinations”.
Professor Victor Peretemode however blamed the incident on ” massification” of education, and lamenting that the act had given impetus to the quest for the university education even by those that do not have the intellectual ability to cope in such an environment.
According to him, university education was not meant for everyone as he averred that making it an all comer’s affairs would throw up a number of students with a propensity to cheat as they know that their mental capacity cannot carry them far, adding that DELSU will continue to pursue its zero tolerance for every shade of misconduct in order to maintain academic standards, instill discipline and requisite character and learning in students, which he said, remained the condition precedent to the award of a university degree.
He disclosed that investigation was ongoing with a view to arresting the student who hired the services of the suspect, Bright Steves.
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