Babcock University has announced plans to pursue legal action after Nigerian streamer and content creator Carter Efe allegedly circulated a forged certificate purportedly issued by the institution.
The controversy began after Carter Efe, during an interview with popular content creator Egungun of Lagos, claimed that he had graduated from the private university with outstanding academic results. To support his claim, the streamer later shared what he described as his graduation certificate on the social media platform X.
According to Carter Efe, the certificate showed that he obtained a degree in Biochemistry with what he described as a "First Class Upper" from Babcock University.
The claim quickly attracted widespread reactions online, with many social media users questioning the authenticity of the certificate and the academic classification stated on the document.
Responding to the development, Babcock University issued a public statement on Sunday, dismissing the certificate as fraudulent and distancing itself from the claims made by the streamer.
The institution stressed that it does not award undergraduate degrees with a classification known as "First Class Upper," noting that any document bearing such a designation should not be regarded as genuine.
The university also warned members of the public against relying on unverified academic credentials and encouraged anyone seeking to confirm the authenticity of certificates to do so through its Office of the Registrar.
The statement read:
“FRAUD ALERT, Babcock University does not issue “Honorary Certificates” for undergraduate performance and has no classification known as “First Class Upper.
“Any document claiming otherwise is fraudulent and should be disregarded. We urge the public to verify all credentials through the Office of the Registrar.”
The institution further disclosed that it would not allow the matter to go unchecked, stating that appropriate legal action would be taken against those responsible for producing and circulating the alleged forged documents.
“The University will pursue appropriate legal action against those responsible for these forgeries.”