A Nigerian postgraduate hopeful’s dream turns to nightmare as his UK-based contact fails to pay £3,000 tuition deposit despite receiving N9.2m—then demands N100m for ‘defamation’ when exposed.
Taiwo Oluwayemi’s plans to study at York St. John University collapsed after Oluwadamilare Olaniyi allegedly withheld his tuition funds. Now, a police case and shocking N100m counter-claim deepen the crisis.
Olaniyi
FIJ
Taiwo Oluwayemi, a resident of Ogun State, has accused Oluwadamilare Olaniyi, a Nigerian man living in the United Kingdom, of withholding N9.2 million meant for his tuition and causing him to lose his admission into a university abroad.
Oluwayemi told FIJ that after he lost the postgraduate admission, Olaniyi went incommunicado for some time, resurfaced with a lawyer who is now demanding N100 million from him, and has still refused to refund his N9.2 million.
The Ogun State resident said his problem with Olaniyi started between November and January after he transferred N9.2 million to him to help pay part of his tuition fees at York St. John University, but Olaniyi failed to make even the required £3,000 deposit.
Oluwayemi said he had known Olaniyi for some time. Olaniyi frequently encouraged him to travel abroad. In 2024, when Oluwayemi told Olaniyi he was ready to relocate through the study route, he also mentioned needing Olaniyi’s assistance.
Oluwayemi said he applied to several independent schools and gained admission. But even before receiving any offer, he contacted Olaniyi to inform him of his plan to send naira for tuition payments, since Nigerian cards could not be used for international transactions.
“Olaniyi welcomed the idea. He said he was running a project in Nigeria and needed naira. So I agreed to send him the N9.2 million I had, and he would help me pay my fees in pounds. That was our deal. I sent him the money in November,” Oluwayemi told FIJ.
When York St. John offered him admission and issued a conditional offer, they stated that only £3,000 was required to secure his spot. With the exchange rate at about N1,890 to a pound, Oluwayemi instructed Olaniyi to pay the amount from the funds already sent.
“But that was when the stories began. He kept making excuses and never paid the money. I had already gone for my medicals in Lagos. I reminded him tirelessly, but he did nothing. The deadline passed, and the school increased the amount to £5,000 if I still wanted to resume. I asked if he had spent my money, but he wouldn’t answer,” Oluwayemi said.
Oluwayemi added that the school eventually withdrew the admission offer at the end of March due to non-payment of tuition fees. Olaniyi then blocked him on WhatsApp.
A frustrated Oluwayemi began calling Olaniyi out on social media to retrieve his money, but it did not immediately yield any results.
“I also visited his parents, who are pastors. At first, they promised to speak to him. But when my wife and I returned three weeks later, they said they couldn’t help us and that he was an adult,” he said.
“I then went to the police station. After a month, Olaniyi came out of hiding with a lawyer who insisted I must pay N100 million for what they allege is defamation. I took down the posts I had made about him on social media, but how will I get my money back? To date, I haven’t received a kobo.”
FIJ reached out to Olaniyi via WhatsApp but did not receive a response at press time. This was after over 72 hours.
THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN FIJ