The Lagos State University has denied extorting 2019/20 graduands seeking to collect their certificates in preparation for the National Youths Service Corps.

Several LASU graduands had lamented how they were extorted in the name of Covid-19 protocol for certificate collection but the institution is denying.

FIJ had reported how the University management had compelled its graduands to pay certain amounts of money for their certificates to be delivered at their various homes, to avoid a breach of Covid-19 protocol.

After going through the processes of online registration and payment, scores of the graduands still had to come to the school premises to collect the certificates, defeating the purpose of the introduction of the Courier Service delivery.

FIJ obtained photos and videos showing how Covid-19 protocol as the graduates collected their certificates. The Admin Block (Certificate Unit) of the institution was crowded by many graduands who neither wore facemasks nor maintained physical distancing.

READ MORE: EXPOSED: How LASU Extorted Millions of Naira from 2019/20 Graduands in the Name of COVID-19 Protocol

However,  in a press statement by LASU’s Centre for Information Press and Public Relations, the management insisted on not extorting the graduates, claiming that “most of the applicants would have had their certificates delivered to them if not for the three weeks JAC National Industrial Action in the universities that delayed the processing”.

The press statement also denied the breach of Covid-19 protocol in the process of sharing the certificates to the graduands, despite photo evidence obtained by FIJ.

FIJ can authoritatively report that no arrangement of refund is made for graduands who have had to come to the school premises to collect their certificates after paying for Courier Service delivery.

“How can they say they’re not extorting us when there is no arrangement for refund of our money?” one of the graduands asked.

“Don’t mind them, LASU PR is notorious for denying the truth,” another added.