By Chimdiogo Amuh 

Some students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Open and Distance Learning (ODL) nursing programme have petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged extortion, financial misappropriation, intimidation and the prolonged withholding of their academic results.

In a petition titled “Save Our Souls (SOS)” and signed by Concerned Nurses of LAUTECH ODL, the petitioners said they were forced to seek the intervention of anti-graft agencies after all internal efforts to resolve the issues failed.

The nurses stated that they concluded their final examinations in 2025 and that results were officially released in May of the same year. However, they alleged that the results of many students remain withheld without any formal academic explanation.

They noted that while some of their colleagues have had their results released, proceeded to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or obtained exemption letters, others have been left in what they described as “academic limbo.”

Beyond the issue of withheld results, the petitioners alleged a long-standing pattern of systematic extortion and financial impropriety, which they claimed began from their 200 Level through the actions of class executives.

According to the petition, students were repeatedly compelled to pay ₦1,000 each as “class purse” into personal bank accounts, without receipts, transparency or accountability. They also alleged that they were made to pay sports and entertainment levies into private accounts, despite little or no corresponding activities.

From 300 Level, the students claimed they were required to pay ₦1,000 every semester for a purported school project, also into personal accounts. They further alleged that after their final examinations, they were forced on two separate occasions to make additional payments for the same project, under threats that failure to comply would result in their results being withheld or them being marked as failed.

The petition recalled an incident at 200 Level when one of the class executives, reportedly a staff member of the State Hospital, Ota, Ogun State, allegedly embezzled about ₦5 million belonging to the class. The individual reportedly claimed the funds were spent on medical treatment, with no refund made to date.

The nurses further alleged that when students attempted to discuss the issue at a congress, a then board secretary allegedly disrupted the meeting, claimed the authorities were aware of the matter, and instructed students to drop the issue.

They also accused the class executives of imposing numerous unofficial levies each semester for vague purposes, without budgets, receipts or financial records. One individual, identified as Nurse Kinbokun, was specifically accused of repeatedly handling class funds through multiple personal bank accounts.

In 500 Level, first semester, the petitioners alleged that over 200 students were compelled to pay ₦13,000 each, followed by an additional ₦2,000 under threat of being barred from examinations, and later another ₦15,200. They further claimed that extra charges of between ₦200 and ₦500 were routinely added to payments, allegedly for “bank charges.”

The petitioners estimated that over ₦18 million may have been embezzled through these practices.

They also alleged that class executives collected money multiple times from the entire class and affected students, claiming the funds were needed to “settle the school,” only for students to later discover that the claims were false.

According to the nurses, students who questioned the payments or demanded the opening of a transparent class account were allegedly intimidated, threatened with failure, reported to alleged collaborators within the institution, or removed from class communication platforms.

In the petition, the group called on the EFCC and ICPC to investigate all personal bank accounts used to collect class funds, conduct a full audit of monies collected from 200 Level to 500 Level, and probe allegations of extortion, embezzlement, coercion and abuse of authority.

They also requested protection from retaliation and urged the agencies to ensure the immediate and fair release of all legitimately earned academic results.

The petitioners said screenshots of class communications and proofs of payment into some of the accounts allegedly used in the transactions were attached to their letter to the anti-graft agencies.