Two men have been sentenced to one and a half years in prison for forging academic certificates at the newly established Federal University of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Jere Ndazhaga, disclosed the development at a press briefing in Jos on Monday, December 22, 2025.
The convicts, Friday Tunkyes and Harvey Obed Ringsum, were arrested after a suspicious certificate was submitted at the university’s Examinations and Records Section, prompting a full investigation.
The inquiry led to the recovery of numerous forged certificates and official emboss stamps, which the suspects allegedly used to produce fake academic results.
Ndazhaga said: “I have been overseeing the affairs of the institution for the past four months. It is important to state clearly that the university recently uncovered a syndicate specialised in forging, faking, and altering academic results, issuing them as if from the defunct Federal College of Education, Pankshin.”
He emphasised that certificate forgery undermines the integrity of the education system and urged employers, organisations, and the public to verify academic credentials directly with issuing institutions.
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The Acting Vice-Chancellor added that the sentences serve as a strong deterrent to anyone contemplating similar fraudulent activities, underlining the university’s commitment to protecting academic standards.
The arrests followed a report to the State Intelligence Department on November 17, 2025, with Tunkyes taken into custody on November 18 and Ringsum on November 19.
This ruling reinforces the university’s determination to uphold academic integrity and safeguard the value of genuine qualifications.