The head of the Lagos State College of Health Technology (LASCOHET) has condemned a cybercafé operator accused of defrauding a prospective student of more than one million naira under the guise of securing her admission.
Provost Professor Raheem Olasupo Akewushola said the college had “zero tolerance” for fraudulent practices and vowed that the suspect, identified as Mr. Kehinde Michael Arapatile, would face sanctions.
An applicant seeking admission into LASCOHET’s Health Assistant programme accused Arapatile of swindling her out of ₦1.5 million (approx. $1,000), according to a petition submitted to the institution’s management.
The victim, whose name has been withheld, claimed she deposited an initial ₦500,000 into Arapatile’s account as part of the deal. When the promised admission failed to materialise, Arapatile allegedly assured her she would obtain a certificate without attending classes.
Uncomfortable with the arrangement, the applicant requested a refund. Instead, she said, Arapatile threatened her to keep silent, prompting her to formally report the case.
During questioning by college authorities led by the provost, Arapatile reportedly admitted to the allegations. He claimed the transaction was not linked to LASCOHET but to a professional body he identified as CIMB, for which he said he was a liaison officer. He was, however, unable to explain the acronym.
“Upon preliminary investigation, stamp pads of some institutions were retrieved from his shop while further investigations are ongoing,” Akewushola said in a statement.
The provost warned members of the public against engaging with Arapatile, stressing that he was neither an employee nor an agent of the college. “Whosoever transacts any business with him does so at his or her own risk,” he added.
LASCOHET, established to train health professionals for Lagos State and beyond, has pledged to clamp down on admission racketeering and other misconduct to safeguard its integrity.
Authorities did not immediately say whether Arapatile would face police prosecution.
