Arise News Bars Political Analyst, ‘Prof’ Anthony Kila from Platforms over Alleged Fake Academic Credentials
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Arise News Channel has announced that Anthony Kila, a famous freelance political analyst on the network, will no longer appear on its television channel or any of its media platforms. The decision follows a damning investigative exposé by Premium Times Newspapers alleging that Kila falsified his entire academic record.
In a disclaimer issued by the network’s editorial board, the broadcasting company clarified that it was entirely unaware of the credential issues during Kila’s previous broadcast commentary sessions.
According to the management of Arise News, the channel took measures immediately after the initial allegations surfaced on October 3, 2026. The station said it reportedly contacted Kila on the same day to give him an opportunity to clear his name and address the severe claims regarding his qualifications.
While the political analyst initially requested more time from the television network to compile a formal response, the network stated that ten days had passed with no explanation provided by the guest.
The network’s editorial board noted that the allegations surrounding Kila’s credentials have significantly worsened over the ten-day period, making his continued presence on the channel completely untenable.
The investigation initially questioned Kila’s decade-long public use of the rank of “professor”, but later expanded to claim that his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from multiple institutions across Italy and the United Kingdom were completely fabricated.
Investigators found that the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies (ECAPS)—the institution Kila credited for his 2016 professorship, does not legally exist.Prior to the media blacklisting, Anthony Kila enjoyed prominence in the Nigerian public space as a regular television commentator and wrote widely on issues relating to regional governance, public transparency, and institutional honesty. He also served as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at the Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU) in Delta State.
In the wake of the initial media exposure, the university administration officially suspended Kila from his top executive leadership role pending further verification of his academic files.
In his defense, Kila has rejected the “fake professor” labels publicized across national dailies. In a personal statement, the embattled academic asserted that the critical reports were based on an incomplete, misleading understanding of the institutional frameworks underpinning his professional rank. Maintaining that he stands firmly by all the academic credentials tied to his name, Kila has threatened robust legal action to defend his personal reputation and institutional standing from what he terms severe character assassination.
However, Arise News reiterated that its stance remains uncompromising, enforcing an immediate and permanent ban on Kila across its global network broadcasts. The media station emphasized that matters of corporate credibility and journalistic integrity are treated with extreme seriousness. Moving forward, the broadcast giant indicated that it will heighten its vetting procedures for guest experts to prevent similar credentials scandals from undermining the public trust in its programming.
