ICPC constitutes team to probe Kila over fake professorship

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has constituted a team to investigate Anthony Kila following revelations by PREMIUM TIMES that he is a fake professor.

A source at the anti-corruption agency told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the commission’s leadership was concerned by the allegations, particularly because Mr Kila is the Pro-Chancellor of a Nigerian university, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU), Delta State.

The source said the ICPC considers it embarrassing to the nation for the head of a university’s governing council to present himself as a professor without evidence that he was awarded the rank.

“An investigation team has been put together to look into the matter,” the source said, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the issue.

PREMIUM TIMES contacted the ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, for confirmation. Mr Odey said he was not aware of the investigation but promised to check with the relevant desk and get back to our reporter.

The ICPC source, who spoke with our reporter, said the investigation would not be limited to confirming or disputing whether Mr Kila falsely presented himself as a professor.

According to him, the ICPC will also examine whether MCIU used Mr Kila’s “professorial status” in any official documents, engagements or representations and whether the university obtained any advantage or leverage from his academic title.

The development follows a PREMIUM TIMES investigation published on Saturday which raised questions about Mr Kila’s claim to the title of professor and his academic credentials.

The ICPC source said the commission’s interest was heightened by Mr Kila’s position as pro-chancellor, saying the agency would establish whether the alleged misrepresentation had any implications for the university or its dealings with public institutions.

The commission is expected to establish the facts surrounding Mr Kila’s use of the professorial title, including the circumstances under which the title was presented and whether any official benefit was derived from it.

MCIU removes Kila’s name from website

Meanwhile, MCIU has deleted all references to Mr Kila from its website, in an apparent move to distance itself from him.

Mr Kila, who has served as the university’s pro-chancellor since August 2025, previously had his name, profile and photographs published on the institution’s website.

However, PREMIUM TIMES’ review of the website around 7 p.m. on Monday showed that Mr Kila’s name, profile and photographs had been removed, leaving no trace of him on the website.

Previously, Mr Kila’s details featured on the website alongside those of the proprietress Cecilia Ibru, a former banker and chief executive officer of the defunct Oceanic Bank, as well as the Vice-Chancellor, Ibiyinka Fuwape, a professor.

The university has yet to make a public statement on this newspaper’s investigation, which exposed him as a fake professor.

The vice-chancellor, Mrs Fuwape, said the institution would soon respond to the questions raised by the investigation.

For more than a decade, Mr Kila has claimed to be a professor, featuring in public events and on national television.

But PREMIUM TIMES found that Mr Kila was never awarded the academic rank and had falsely presented himself as a professor and a “Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development” for years.

When contacted, he told this newspaper that the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS), which he said was based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, awarded him the professorship in 2016.

But PREMIUM TIMES found no evidence that the institution exists.

Searches of the UK Companies House, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and general online sources produced no evidence of the institution, including a website, social media accounts, a physical address, or alumni records.

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency, which manages the Jean Monnet Actions, also disowned Mr Kila’s affiliation with the Jean Monnet programme or awarding him a Jean Monnet Professorship.

Mr Kila’s response

In his response to the investigation, Mr Kila sidestepped the questions raised but maintained he is a legitimate professor, without evidence of the institution that awarded him the professorial rank.

He claimed the report was based on “an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis” of his professorship.

Mr Kila also said he had instructed his lawyers to review the publication and subsequent dissemination of the allegations and advise him on appropriate legal steps to protect his reputation and professional standing. (Premium Times)