By Nnabuenyi Chioma

In Nigerian universities examinations, impersonation is a “common” culture, though varsities authorities fight to end the vice. However, in spite of the committed fight against this hydra-headed monster, students flagrantly engage in it being aware of the consequences.

In this very university situated in Enugu State, examination impersonation took a new dimension. What started as an attempt to bypass an academic examination turned into a violent confrontation at an off-campus student lodge in a Nigerian University in Enugu State during the 2025/2026 first semester examinations

On a Sunday afternoon, a group of young men arrived at the compound looking for a student named Godswill. They had reportedly come to settle scores over a fraudulent examination arrangement that had fallen through.

The Deal

According to the student Bonaventure (Not real name) who hired Godswill, he was unable to sit for his examination in the faculty of Education due to the sudden death of his father. As the first son, family obligations required him to remain at home to spearhead the burial arrangements.

In a move to eat his cake and still have it at the same time, Bonaventure looked for a proxy to write the examination in his place. Impersonation!

Through a mutual friend—who was in the same faculty but a different department—he was introduced to Godswill. They agreed on the sum of ₦75, 000 fee for Godswill to write the examination. An additional ₦20, 000 was allegedly paid for a separate carryover course, bringing the total transaction to ₦95, 000.

The Betrayal

The illicit arrangement, however, did not go as planned. Godswill later admitted that he never stepped into the examination hall, claiming he developed “cold feet” at the last minute and backed out.

However, he did not inform his “client” of the “change of heart”. The student claimed that immediately after the examination, Godswill contacted him to confirm that he had written the paper and signed the attendance sheet. Trusting this confirmation, the student paid the remaining agreed balance.

The deception came to light only when the semester results were released and the student’s grade was missing. Hoping it was a administrative error, he went to make enquiries.

“When I checked with the lecturers and the examination attendance sheet was brought out, my name was not on the list,” the Bonaventure explained.

He then realized Godswill had neither written the paper nor recorded attendance for him. This left the left him facing severe academic consequences, including the prospect of repeating the affected courses and incurring extra tuition costs.

The Confrontation

The situation escalated when the student and his friends attempted to recover the money. According to reports, Godswill ignored their phone calls and repeatedly postponed scheduled meetings to discuss a refund.

Frustrated, the group took the matter directly to his residence. Earlier that Sunday, a few young men had come looking for Godswill but missed him. They returned later that afternoon with reinforcements.

When Godswill opened his door, he was confronted by the student and several other young men. They ordered him to step outside, but he refused, attempting to plead with them from inside his room.

The standoff quickly turned violent. The group attacked God’s Will with sticks and stones as he yelled for help, drawing the attention of neighbors and passersby.

“I thought it was just boys making noise in the compound,” one resident recalled. “But when I came outside, I saw what was happening.”

The Resolution

Caretakers from the compound and a neighboring lodge rushed in to de-escalate the dispute. When the crowd refused to disperse, one caretaker threatened to call the police and left the scene to seek help. However, his wife later called to inform him that the matter was being resolved internally, so law enforcement never arrived.

During the melee, Godswill was publicly questioned. He confessed to accepting the money and failing to write the examination. He also admitted that he had pocketed the entire sum, withholding the agreed-upon commission from the middleman who connected him to the Bonaventure.

A brief dispute arose over the exact amount exchanged. When questioned by his father, Godswill initially denied receiving the extra ₦20,000, but eventually confessed to taking it.

Distraught, the father pleaded with the angry youth to spare his son, promising to refund the full amount. He vowed to return the following Tuesday to finalize the settlement. The young men eventually left the premises, taking Godswill’s smartphone with them as collateral.

The Aftermath

It was gathered that later that evening, Godswill’s mother arrived at the lodge seeking to speak directly with Bonaventure. Neighbors declined to share his contact information out of concern for his safety. Godswill was subsequently packed out of the lodge by his family, who decided he would commute from home to school, moving forward.

True to his word, the father returned on Tuesday with his son and proceeded directly to the student’s academic department. The exact details of what was discussed behind closed doors remain unknown to lodge residents.

The incident has left the student community talking about the severe dangers of examination malpractice and the chaotic fallout that often follows academic shortcuts.