Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof Offiong Offiong, has revealed that the institution is actively tracking individuals involved in forging UNICAL certificates. Speaking ahead of the university's 38th convocation ceremony scheduled for 2nd April 2026, Offiong disclosed that perpetrators were using computer centres to produce fake certificates, including forged signatures of past Registrars and Vice Chancellors. He warned the public against engaging with anyone offering admission or job placements in exchange for money, urging such cases be reported immediately.
Offiong confirmed that one university officer is already facing disciplinary action for leading an admission racket. The Central Admissions Committee (CAC) has been reinstated as part of efforts to restore integrity in the admission process. He acknowledged that certificate forgery, employment scams, and examination malpractices have contributed to negative public perception of the institution.
"We are closing up on a few that have been fingered and when they are apprehended, we will not fail in our duty to show these avowed enemies to the world," Offiong stated. He added that his administration is addressing long-standing issues that have hindered the university's progress.
A university VC publicly hunting certificate forgers suggests the scam has grown too bold to ignore. Prof Offiong Offiong's admission that fake certificates bear forged signatures of past officials reveals a network that likely operated for years with inside access. If a single officer could compromise UNICAL's admission system this deeply, then the fix must go beyond punishment — it must dismantle the machinery that allowed it. For Nigerian degree seekers, the real fear isn't just forgery, but how easily legitimacy can be faked when systems stay broken.
