ICPC sets up team to investigate Kila over fake professor claim

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has formed a team to look into Anthony Kila following reports by PREMIUM TIMES that he is not a real professor.

A source at the ICPC told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the agency's leaders are worried about the allegations. This is especially serious since Mr Kila is the Pro-Chancellor of a Nigerian university, Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU) in Delta State.

The source said it is embarrassing for a university’s governing council head to call himself a professor without proof that he earned that title. “An investigation team has been put together to look into the matter,” the source said. They asked to remain anonymous because they were not allowed to speak on the issue.

PREMIUM TIMES reached out to the ICPC spokesperson, John Odey, for confirmation. Mr Odey said he did not know about the investigation but promised to check with the relevant department and update our reporter.

The ICPC source explained that the investigation will not just focus on whether Mr Kila falsely claimed to be a professor. The ICPC will also check if MCIU used Mr Kila’s professorial title in any official documents or events, and if the university gained any benefit from his academic title.

This investigation follows a PREMIUM TIMES report published on Saturday, which questioned Mr Kila’s claim to being a professor and his academic qualifications. The ICPC source said the commission's concern grew because of Mr Kila’s role as pro-chancellor. They want to find out whether his alleged misrepresentation affected the university or its dealings with public institutions.

The commission is expected to find out the facts around Mr Kila’s use of the title professor, including how he presented it and whether any official benefits came from it.

MCIU removes Kila’s name from website

Meanwhile, MCIU has taken down all mentions of Mr Kila from its website to distance itself from him. Mr Kila has been the university’s pro-chancellor since August 2025. His name, profile, and pictures were previously on the institution’s website.

However, PREMIUM TIMES checked the website around 7 p.m. on Monday and found that all references to Mr Kila were gone. There were no traces of him left on the website.

Before this, Mr Kila’s details were listed alongside those of the proprietress Cecilia Ibru, a former banker and CEO of the now-defunct Oceanic Bank, and the Vice-Chancellor, Ibiyinka Fuwape, a professor.

The university has not yet made a public statement regarding this newspaper’s investigation, which revealed Mr Kila as a fake professor. Vice-Chancellor Mrs Fuwape said the institution would soon respond to the questions raised by the investigation.

For over a decade, Mr Kila has claimed to be a professor, appearing at public events and on national television. But PREMIUM TIMES found that Mr Kila was never awarded the title and had falsely claimed to be 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 is based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, awarded him the professorship in 2016. But PREMIUM TIMES found no proof that the institution exists.

Searches in the UK Companies House, Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and online sources showed no evidence of the institution, including a website, social media pages, or records of alumni.

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency, which manages the Jean Monnet Actions, also denied Mr Kila’s claims about being part of the Jean Monnet programme or receiving a Jean Monnet Professorship.

Mr Kila’s response

In response to the investigation, Mr Kila avoided the key questions raised but insisted he is a legitimate professor, without providing proof of the institution that granted him the professorial title.

He claimed the report was based on “an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis” of his professorship. Mr Kila also stated he has asked his lawyers to review the publication and the spread of the allegations. He wants them to suggest legal actions to protect his reputation and professional status.