£1 Million Fraud Investigation Ties Ebonyi Scholarship Deal To U.K. University Scandal
Pecohub The Ebonyi State Government, through its Scholarship Board, has been linked to a £1 million suspected fraud and bribery investigation currently underway in the United Kingdom, involving the University of Greater Manchester.
According to a series of investigative reports by Manchester Mill, two Nigerians from Ivo Local Government Area in Ebonyi State, Mr. Anyata Emmanuel Ajah and Dr. Gideon Sorochi Okorie — are central figures in the case. Dr. Okorie, a Nigerian licensed medical doctor and former employee of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), was hired by the university in May 2024.
Months later, he and Mr. Anyata allegedly registered consultancy firms in Nigeria and the UK within 8 days of each other, just before a major scholarship agreement was signed in October 2024.
The deal, reportedly worth £1 million, aimed to bring 128 students dubbed “Ebonyi Scholars” to the University of Greater Manchester under a partnership with the Ebonyi State Government. Dr. Okorie and Mr. Anyata’s companies allegedly served as intermediaries in the process, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest and self-dealing. Efforts by Manchester Mill to locate Mr. Anyata in Nigeria have so far proven unsuccessful, with the Nigerian address for his company, Vigica Consult, turning up no results
On May 13 2025, the University of Greater Manchester suspended its Vice-Chancellor, Provost, and Dr. Okorie as a precaution, after the University’s internal fraud panel submitted its findings to the Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
The GMP has since launched a formal investigation into suspected bribery and fraud
With raids conducted in July 2025 on seven properties linked to the suspect fraud case as reported by Manchester Mill
“These are the very initial stages of what is set to be a complex and lengthy investigation,” said Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson, who oversees crime and forensics at Greater Manchester Police. “Extensive work will continue to ensure all relevant parties are spoken to, so that all necessary action can be taken in relation to any suspected criminality”.
In August 2025, Manchester Mill reported that GMP had held discussions with the University of Greater Manchester Serious Fraud Office, given the case’s scale and cross-border complexity for a larger U.K. law enforcement involvement as the investigations continues
As of early September 2025, the Ebonyi State Government and its Scholarship Board have not released any official statements regarding their role in the ongoing investigation.
