The Lagos State Government has sealed Tower College of Health, Science, and Management in Gberigbe, Ikorodu, and arrested its owner, Femi Adeigbe.

This followed a special report by Saturday PUNCH indicating that the college admitted and trained students in 24 courses without accreditation.

The report is the second part of a special investigation revealing how some universities in Benin had been sneaking graduates into the National Youth Service Corps through some private polytechnics in Nigeria.

School sealed, owner arrested

Earlier, a source told Saturday PUNCH that the college had been shut down and Adeigbe arrested.

He said, “The school has been locked because it is not accredited. The founder has also been arrested. There are no students or anyone else on the premises at the moment. They can’t go near the school as they are afraid that anything could happen. Some people came to lock the school.”

It was reported that an enforcement was led by officials from the Directorate of Nursing Services of the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

The operation was said to be in collaboration with the Nursing and Midwifery Committee of Lagos State, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, and operatives of the Rapid Response Squad on Thursday.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that Adeigbe was detained for questioning and possible prosecution.

During the enforcement, the Director of DNS, Sola Aketi, stated that the school had previously been warned about its illegal operations.

She said, “As a result of this closure, the illegal institution will cease all nursing training and educational activities with immediate effect. We have several of these schools across the state, and we will not stop until they are all shut down.”

She concluded that Tower College was one of many unapproved institutions operating in the state, adding that it would continue to sanitise the nursing education system.

Ministry probes school

In a related development, the Ministry of Education said it had set up a committee to investigate allegations that the college was operating without proper government accreditation.

The spokesperson for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed  that a committee had been set up to address the matter.

He stated that plans regarding the issue were in progress, adding that details would not be made public until the process was concluded.

Benjamin stated, “We don’t want to disclose what we are doing, because it will jeopardise what we are doing. Certainly, we are taking action.”

A government source also revealed that an investigation into the matter was underway.

The official said, “We have got the school’s location and we are working discreetly now. Findings have been done and I am sure by now it would have been sent to the headquarters. The DSS and other agencies are on the matter.  They are working with the Ministry of Education on the case. It is the quality assurance of the ministry that has taken over the work.”

The official lamented the alarming rise in the number of illegal schools across the country.

The source added that the government would continue to identify and eliminate such institutions.

Reacting to the matter, the National President of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Haruna Mamman, told Saturday PUNCH the college was not registered.

He said, “It is the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria that is the regulatory body of nursing education. I am sure that the school is not on their list. You can also inquire from NMCN.”

Changes on Tower College websites, others

After Saturday PUNCH initial publication, our correspondent observed that operators of the college hurriedly made changes on the school’s website.

On November 1, 2025, our correspondent observed that Adeigbe’s photos had been removed and the contact listed changed.

Saturday PUNCH also noticed that some sections on the website had been edited, including the registration portal.

For instance, the list of 24 courses offered by the college had been removed from the “Admission” section of the website.

When first accessed, the website listed 1,025 students and 24 courses.

After the report was published, the figures dropped to 522 students and 12 courses.

The figures continue to change each time the page is refreshed.

Also, Adeigbe’s photos, Esfam students’ photos, and details of Tower College on his personal WhatsApp Business catalogue had all been changed.

It was also observed that the school’s Instagram handle, @tower_college_, is now private and bears Adeigbe’s name, while he still retains his personal account.

Experts knock govt, demand prosecution

Reacting to the matter, an education expert and public commentator, Adeniyi Kunnu, blamed the existence of illegal institutions on the government, adding that schools responsible for such illegal act must be brought to book.

The expert said the operation of unaccredited schools was a product of corporate incompetence, non-existent oversight, weak regulatory policies and poor record keeping.

He stated that representatives of the government in the education ministry, along with those in related departments and agencies, had not demonstrated an understanding of the country’s landscape.

He advised parents to search online for accredited schools before enrolling their wards.

Kunnu stated, “I need those reading this to search online if the government has a blacklist of those schools operating in Lagos where information is provided and where their patrons are warned to steer clear of them.

“The records are like vapour even the ones that have genuine approval for operation have not been properly uploaded on sites to enable Nigeria make informed choices of what schools are open to being patronised.”

Reacting, an educationist, Mr Sulaimon Okewole, said the school and others involved should face the wrath of the law.

He said, “Individuals can’t continue to bastardise our education. The federal government must continue to fish out these people running illegal institutions.”