Certificate racketeering: NANS President Benin Republic demands arrest of reporter

The National Association of Nigerian Students President for Benin Republic, Ugochukwu Favour, has called for the arrest of the reporter, Umar Audu, who went undercover to expose corruption in the issuance of certificates in the country.

Speaking in an interview on Thursday on the Channels TV programme Sunrise Daily, Favour slammed the reporter for having his passport stamped and obtaining certificates without being physically present.

“Your passport was stamped while you were not available there. Now, and that aside, this guy served in 2019. And he still served again in 2023,” he said.

Favour claimed the reporter was implicating the government and questioning the credibility of agencies like the Immigration and National Youth Service Corps by going undercover.

“He has to be arrested. This guy needs to be arrested because, I know, he’s a reporter who is trying to clear out some things but on that note, you are trying to implicate some persons now because, in a sense, you’re trying to implicate the government, the NYSC and the immigration,” he said.

When asked by the interviewer if the reporter’s efforts exposed loopholes that should be addressed, the NANS president said, “I’m not doubting that but then since this is out already, I want to urge the government to look into it and take the necessary steps as fast as possible,” he responded.