The jury is still out on how Ms. Tinuade Sanda, the immediate past managing director (MD) and chief executive officer of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) rose to the top in the private sector despite emergent allegations of certificate forgery.
Sanda was removed from her position in March and redeployed to WPG Ltd, the core investor that originally seconded her to the Eko Disco.
Despite the vehement pushback and media onslaught orchestrated by her supporters within the company, Sanda was successfully removed and replaced by Ms. Rekhiat Momoh.
In the wake of her removal, allegations have emerged that Sanda might have lied her way through to become EKO Disco CEO, which has seen her reportedly editing her educational profile on her LinkedIn page.
According to several media reports, Sanda’s educational achievements before it was edited include obtaining a Bachelor’s in Applied Science from the Harvard Business School, which does not offer Bachelor’s degrees.
The Harvard Business School is a graduate school whereby all applicants must have at least an undergraduate degree from a recognised institution. She has now edited her claim to read Harvard Business School – Executive Education.
Sanda also claimed to have an MBA in Strategic Planning from The University of Edinburgh, Scotland but has now changed it to MBA, Strategy, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, which raises serious posers about her moral rectitude and the veracity of her certificates.
“She knew the difference between the two institutions but decided to make it seem she attended the more recognised and prestigious one until the truth emerged,” said a source familiar with the story.
Another damning allegation is that Sanda parades a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD in Financial Management and Entrepreneurship from one Icon University of Management Science and Technology, Benin Republic, which claims to be “recognized by Ministry of Higher Education of Nigeria.” Nigeria does not have a Ministry of Higher Education and has never had one.
Over the years, the Benin Republic had gained notoriety for selling and awarding university degrees. In December 2023, an online medium published an investigative story of how a Nigerian undercover journalist bagged a Benin Republic university degree in six weeks and participated in the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps programme. Consequently, the Federal Government of Nigeria suspended the accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.
Could Ms Sanda have been a victim of the Benin Republic syndicate? Only time will tell.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.