Kila rejects ‘Fake Professor’ claim, heads to court

Professor Anthony Kila has rejected reports describing him as a “fake professor”, saying the characterisation was inaccurate, misleading and damaging to his reputation and professional standing.

Kila, in a statement responding to a publication dated October 3, 2026, said he remained a professor and stood by the academic and professional credentials on which his professorial title was based.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I am a professor, and I stand by the title and the professional and academic credentials on which it is based,” he said.

He argued that the report was based on what he described as an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis of his professorship.

According to him, the matter should be assessed on the basis of the relevant facts and supporting documentation.

Kila, who is Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Delta State, and Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), said he was prepared to make the relevant facts and documents concerning his professorial status available.

He particularly objected to the description “fake professor”, arguing that the phrase was presented as a factual conclusion that required evidence and carried serious implications for his reputation.

While acknowledging the role of journalism in scrutinising the credentials of people occupying positions of responsibility, Kila said such scrutiny should be conducted fairly and with a proper understanding of the facts.

He said he was “baffled” by the level of attention directed at him, noting that he neither holds political office nor is seeking one, and is not a government official.

Kila also thanked colleagues, friends, students and members of the public who contacted him after the publication to express confidence in his academic and professional credentials.

He disclosed that he had instructed his lawyers to review the publication and any subsequent dissemination of the allegations and advise him on appropriate legal steps to protect his reputation and professional standing.

“The facts and documentation will speak for themselves,” Kila said.