Some law graduates, who passed out from the Nigerian Law School during the 2024/2025 academic session, have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged professional training fraud.

In the petition dated September 17 and co-signed by two of them, Mr. Goodluck Enebeli and Mr. Freedom Eje, the graduates asked the anti-graft agency to probe the Mediation Training Institute (MTI) and the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC).

MTI is a private body that provides professional training for lawyers, while the ICMC is a certifying professional body established by law to train law graduates in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Addressing the petition to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, the graduates accused both institutes of acts “bordering on financial impropriety, misrepresentation, and fraudulent inducement.”

They explained that MTI and ICMC, in collaboration with the International Law Association, a global organisation for lawyers, put together a professional ADR skill accreditation and certification course for them.

About 905 students reportedly registered for the training, paying N130,000 for the course and an additional N30,000 for physical induction into the bodies.

After completing the training, the graduates said they were promised three notable certifications and formal induction as Associate of ICMC, Accredited Mediator of MTI, and Member of ILA.

The induction ceremony was scheduled for Monday, September 22, a day before their Call to Bar.

However, just days before the scheduled induction, the participants said they received a message from the institutes stating that they would only be issued two certifications, while the induction for which they paid N30,000 each to attend physically would now be done virtually.

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According to the graduates, they enrolled in the course because of the three certifications, which they considered relevant to their profession.

They also noted that the institutions never presented the training as separate contracts.

“The institutions further promised us a physical induction with a variety of activities, including a robust dinner/meal, however they have now announced a virtual induction. Whereas, we have paid N30,000 for the physical induction.

“The conduct of the institutes amounts to obtaining money under false pretenses, abuse of trust, and possible diversion of funds collected from hundreds of students nationwide,” the petition stated.

The law graduates urged the EFCC to investigate the financial dealings of MTI and ICMC regarding the training programme.

They also asked the commission to determine the total sums collected from students and how the funds were applied.

Above all, the participants requested the EFCC to “prosecute any person(s) found culpable of misappropriation or fraud and take necessary steps to protect the interest of affected students.”

They demanded either immediate induction and conferment of all the promised professional designations, or a refund of all sums paid with appropriate interest.

Findings show that ICMC and MTI are professional bodies that train law graduates on mediation and conflict resolution and issue relevant certifications to successful trainees.

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MTI blames ICMC for failed induction

In an email sent to the participants, MTI blamed its dispute with ICMC for the disruption of the planned physical induction.

The MTI’s Director of Training, Research and Development, Prof. Oluwafisayo Ayita, in the message accused ICMC of acting in bad faith, noting that the disagreement began with the 2024 regular set after MTI dropped ICMC from its professional ADR course.

He alleged that the move affected “no less than 65 per cent of ICMC’s membership drive”.

“Within two months, they have issued two disclaimers and made various blackmail attempts to discredit MTI and instigate students against it,” Ayita claimed.

According to him, ICMC is still in possession of about N35m belonging to MTI, out of which N20m was allegedly spent on the July 7 induction ceremony.

He added that the remaining N15m would have been “more than enough to induct 905 backlog students.”

Ayita further alleged that ICMC made “impossible demands” of N150m and N45m, claiming it would not be ready for the September 22 induction.

He told the graduates that while MTI and ILA would proceed with their exercise, ICMC might reach out to them separately with a virtual induction and soft copy certificates.

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ICMC denies allegations

Reacting in an interview with The PUNCH, an official of ICMC, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, said the institute did not collect money from anyone.

“First, ICMC did not market any training to the students. So, ICMC did not collect money from them. Let one student come out and say ICMC collected money from him or her. ICMC did not collect any penny from any student,” the official said.

He explained that ICMC had a memorandum of understanding with MTI, which acted as its agent for law school students, but alleged that MTI went against the terms by advertising training that included MTI and ILA.

The official noted that MTI was supposed to remit the induction fee of N30,000 per student to ICMC but failed to do so.

“Without the N30,000 induction fee, how do we induct? We are going to pay for the venue. We are going to buy food. Where are we going to get the money from?” he asked.

He recalled that during the July induction, ICMC inducted 1,982 students “out of good faith” without receiving any remittance from MTI, amounting to about N99m.

He alleged that MTI wanted the institute to induct another 840 students at a cost of about N45m without payment.

The ICMC official also denied claims that the institute was holding on to N15m or N35m from MTI.

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According to him, in 2023, MTI trained students between August and December, and by March 2024 when they were due for induction, MTI said it did not have the N65m required.

He said the MTI Managing Director, Segun Ogunyonwu, pleaded with ICMC and paid in instalments until the full amount was eventually settled, after which the induction took place.

“For the 2024 students, who are the petitioners, we were supposed to induct them in January this year. To avoid the last issue, we wrote to the MTI MD to give us a breakdown of the number of students trained so we could start planning. He did not respond. We wrote a second letter, he did not respond. We wrote a third letter, he did not respond. So, we terminated our MoU with MTI and wrote to the Nigerian Law School that MTI is no longer our representative,” he said.

He noted that the ICMC met with the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, explained its position, and thereafter appointed new service providers for each campus.

“Based on that, the law school DG gave directives to the deputy director general that ICMC is the only recognised training for the Nigerian law school,” he stated.

The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said he was not aware of the petition.

However, an acknowledgement copy of the letter, which bore the official stamp of the agency, showed that the petition was received on Thursday.
PUNCH