Kila rejects ‘fake professor’ label, threatens legal action

By Johnson Arua

Professor Anthony Kila has rejected reports describing him as a “fake professor”, dismissing the characterisation as inaccurate, misleading and damaging to his reputation and professional standing.

Kila, who reacted to a publication dated October 3, 2026, said he remained a professor and stood by the academic and professional credentials upon which his professorial title was based.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I am a professor, and I stand by the title and the professional and academic credentials on which it is based,” he said.

He argued that the publication was based on what he described as an incomplete understanding of the nature, origin and institutional basis of his professorship.

According to him, the issue should be assessed on the basis of relevant facts and supporting documentation rather than conclusions drawn without a full understanding of the circumstances.

Kila, who is Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Delta State, and Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), said he was prepared to make available the relevant facts and documents concerning his professorial status.

He particularly objected to the description “fake professor”, arguing that the phrase amounted to a factual conclusion that required evidence and had serious implications for his reputation.

While acknowledging the role of the media in scrutinising the credentials of individuals occupying positions of responsibility, Kila said such scrutiny should be conducted fairly and on the basis of a proper understanding of the facts.

He said he was “baffled” by the level of attention directed at him, stressing that he neither holds political office nor is seeking one and is not a government official.

Kila also expressed appreciation to his colleagues, friends, students and members of the public who contacted him following the publication to express confidence in his academic and professional credentials.

He, however, disclosed that he had instructed his lawyers to review the publication and any subsequent dissemination of the allegations and advise him on appropriate legal steps to protect his reputation and professional standing.

“The facts and documentation will speak for themselves,” Kila said.