National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), says it has arrested over 95 corps members for presenting fake certificates during mobilization exercise.

Director-General of the Corps, Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim said this during the 2019 Batch “C” pre-mobilization workshop held in Minna, the Niger state capital, saying sixty-five of the culprits were from Nigerian universities while thirty were from universities abroad.

Ibrahim said the increasing rate of certificate forgery from universities in the country necessitated the workshop, which among other things aims to discuss how to proffer a permanent solution to the challenge.

He decried the presentation of fake academic credentials and rigging of unqualified persons into the mobilisation list.

The workshop has its theme as: “Promoting Integrity in the NYSC Mobilisation Process, the Role of Stakeholders”.

Ibrahim said: “It had been discovered that names of unqualified persons are included in the Senate/Academic Board approved list uploaded on the NYSC registration portal by some corps producing institutions.

“This is very worrisome as it amount to betrayal of trust or gross negligence which will not be tolerated,” he said.

He said that the NYSC act prescribes a four year jail term for presentation of fake credentials for mobilisation.

“Very soon, we will mobilise prospective corps members. I want to appeal to persons with intention to present fake certificates not to show up,” he added.

Earlier, Deputy Director, Corps Mobilisation, Victoria Ango, commended the management of NYSC for its approach to tackle the scourge of fraudulent enrollment of foreign trained graduates.

Also at the event, the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Ahmed Ketso assures the corps members of the state government’s commitment to providing adequate security for them.

He also said plans were on top gear to ensure speedy completion of the Permanent NYSC camp project started by the previous administration.