Matthew Okpebholo Foundation · Updated 29 June 2026
The Matthew Okpebholo Foundation wishes to address, with full transparency, the series of security incidents that occurred in connection with our 30th Anniversary Scholarship Award ceremony on Saturday, 20 June 2026.
In the course of post-event reconciliation, the Foundation's verification systems uncovered a coordinated attempt by certain individuals present at the venue to fraudulently divert scholarship payments by submitting unauthorised bank account details under the names of genuine scholarship recipients. This was not a system breach — no server, database, or online platform was hacked. The scheme was carried out in person, by individuals exploiting the trust and process of physical check-in.
The Foundation's monitoring systems flagged unusual patterns during the event itself, allowing the majority of fraudulent submissions to be identified and blocked before payment. We deeply regret that a portion of funds had already been processed before the full scope of the scheme came to light. We have since engaged our banking partners to pursue recovery of these funds, and we have formally reported the matter to the appropriate law enforcement authorities for full investigation and prosecution.
We want to be unequivocal: the scholars affected by this scheme are themselves victims, not suspects. Their names and tokens were used without their knowledge or involvement. The Foundation is committed to ensuring that every genuine, verified scholar ultimately receives the recognition and support they earned.
Since the conclusion of the award ceremony, the Foundation has received a surge of electronic enquiries claiming scholarship entitlement. Upon investigation, it has become clear that certain individuals — acting for financial gain — are generating, selling, and distributing counterfeit 4-digit payment tokens to members of the public, along with pre-written template emails scripted to impersonate legitimate scholarship recipients.
These fraudulent communications share several unmistakable characteristics which the Foundation has documented:
The pattern is unmistakable: a criminal operation deliberately targeting students and applicants who were not selected or did not attend, offering them a false lifeline in exchange for payment, and arming them with fraudulent credentials to bombard the Foundation's channels.
We recognise that some of the individuals submitting these emails may genuinely believe they have a legitimate claim — having paid money to unscrupulous actors who sold them what was presented as a valid participation route. The Foundation's position, nonetheless, is firm and final:
No token, reference number, or email of this kind carries any validity with this Foundation. Our 1,000 awardees are known, named, verified, and on record. The event is concluded. No undocumented participant will be considered for disbursement under any circumstance, regardless of the documentation they present.
If you paid money to someone who promised you a scholarship token or reference number, you have been defrauded by that individual — not by the Foundation. We encourage you to report that person to the Nigeria Police Force or EFCC.
The Matthew Okpebholo Foundation's scholarship award is, and has always been, entirely free at every stage — application, screening, selection, and disbursement. No agent, coordinator, or individual is authorised to charge any fee or collect any payment in connection with this programme at any level.
If you paid anyone for a token, a reference number, a shortlist position, or any form of access — that payment automatically and irreversibly disqualifies you from any consideration under this or any future edition of the initiative. The Foundation regards the payment of fees to any party as an implicit acknowledgement of an attempt to fraudulently obtain the award.
Students knowingly purchasing fraudulent tokens, submitting false scholarship claims, or circulating fraudulent template communications are engaging in criminal conduct — specifically, obtaining by false pretences and conspiracy to defraud. This Foundation has reported this development to law enforcement authorities and reserves the right to pursue all legal remedies available. Cooperation with investigators who may trace these communications back to their senders is encouraged.
We appeal to parents and guardians to verify information before their children act on it. The Foundation's only official channel is info@matthewokpebholofoundation.org and the official website at matthewokpebholofoundation.org. Any token, portal link, or payment reference that originates from another source is fraudulent.
This experience has deepened our concern for the vulnerability of young Nigerians to exploitation at the very moment they reach for opportunity. It has equally strengthened our resolve to build more robust, scam-proof disbursement processes for future editions of this initiative.
We thank the overwhelming majority of our genuine scholars, parents, and community partners who conducted themselves with honesty and patience throughout this process. You are the reason this Foundation's work continues.