The Lagos State chapter of the Take-It-Back (TIB) Movement has demanded urgent action from the Nigerian police following a troubling incident at a tutorial centre in Lagos where a man, posing as a NECO registration consultant, allegedly stole a student’s phone before vanishing.
The incident occurred on Monday, April 28, 2025, and has left students, staff, and rights groups outraged over the ease with which the suspect infiltrated the learning environment and exploited it for theft.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the TIB described the act as “brazen” and “a violation of the safe learning environment every student deserves.”
“The Lagos State chapter of the Take It Back Movement strongly condemns the recent act of deception and theft that occurred at a tutorial centre on Monday, April 28, 2025,” the group said.
“This brazen incident involved an individual, presumed to be in his late 40s, who posed as a tutor and NECO registration consultant, only to exploit the trust of the staff and students for criminal purposes.”
A source at the centre, who identified himself as Master Timi, a lesson tutor, told SaharaReporters how the suspect cleverly manipulated the staff using the name of the centre’s director.
“My name is Master Timi, a lesson tutor. I am here to comment on an existing case concerning theft. A man in his late 40s came to our lesson posing as a tutor and also making enquiry of the NECO registration, which I was about to attend to him till he made mention of my director saying he had spoken to him before coming, which made me relent,” he said.
“So after the man spoke to my director, he was told that around 1pm he should return, but he said he was going to wait for my director. So with that, the man had a conversation with us using that as a method of distracting us, and after the assignment he came for, he decided to leave.”
According to Timi, just 15 minutes after the man left, a female student noticed her phone was missing.
“Exactly 15 minutes later, a student of mine realised that she couldn’t see her phone and decided to ask me. But after discovering the phone was not with me, she started crying, saying that the man took the phone. We rushed out looking for the person. Unfortunately for us, we couldn’t find the person. But what we know is that the man took the phone because immediately he left, the phone was switched off,” he explained.
The TIB’s Lagos Coordinator, Adekunle Adeyemi Taofeek, also known as Scotty Aluta, told SaharaReporters that the case had been formally reported to the Igando Police Station.
He confirmed that police officers had launched a manhunt for the suspect. “They (the police) said the people should hint them whenever they found him,” he added.
In its statement, the TIB reiterated its demand for swift justice: “Our movement stands firmly with the victims and demands immediate action from relevant authorities to investigate this act, identify the perpetrator, and ensure justice is served.”
The group further called on other tutorial centres and educational institutions across Lagos to strengthen their internal security. “We urge all educational institutions, tutorial centres, and learning hubs across Lagos and beyond to adopt enhanced security measures, including identity verification of visitors, to prevent a recurrence of such events.”
“As advocates for justice, youth development, and a secured future for all Nigerian students, we will continue to monitor this case and offer support to the affected individuals in any way necessary,” the statement concluded.
