niAbuja NELFUND claims dismissed as false as the university insists no student loan funds were diverted or misused

The University of Abuja has rejected allegations that its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi, and other senior officials diverted Nigerian Education Loan Fund disbursements, describing the claims as false and misleading.

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In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Acting Director of Information and University Relations, Mr Habib Yakoob, said the institution received N256,142,500 from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund on January 29, 2026, for 2,245 students approved for institutional fee support for the 2025 to 2026 academic session.

The response followed a report by an online platform alleging that university officials, including the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Professor Simon Kawe, diverted the funds, placed them in interest-yielding accounts and shortchanged hundreds of beneficiaries.

The university said the report lacked evidence and failed to show how or where any diversion occurred.

Management explained that disbursement of the loan is strictly application-based, in line with NELFUND guidelines. According to the institution, some students had already paid their fees before the funds were received, fearing they might lose the academic session.

Those students were later advised to apply for reimbursement, and the university said their requests are currently being processed.

Addressing concerns over fund management, the institution insisted that no money had been diverted, hoarded or used to generate interest.

It added that any unclaimed funds belonging to students who have not completed the application process are securely held in designated accounts and will be released once documentation is finalised.

The statement also defended the record of Professor Hakeem Fawehinmi, who assumed office in December 2025, describing his leadership as transparent and student-focused.

The university said all NELFUND disbursements have been handled in strict compliance with regulatory requirements and urged stakeholders and the public to disregard what it called a damaging and unfounded report.

Also read: Student Loan Boost as NELFUND Disburses N140.9bn Nationwide

The clarification comes amid heightened public scrutiny of student loan administration nationwide, with institutions under pressure to demonstrate accountability and transparency in managing the federal support scheme.