The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Benin Republic says there 15,000 Nigerians studying in the country.

This is as NANS called for leniency over the ban on validation of degree certificates from the country and Togo.

Recall that an investigative reporter had recently exposed certificate racketeering in schools in the neighbouring countries.

Following the development, the federal government announced a ban on the validation of degree certificates from the countries.

But, the NANS president in Benin Republic, Ugochukwu Favour, said the government should consider legitimately admitted students.

Favour spoke Thursday on Channels TV's breakfast show Sunrise Daily.

He said the government should step up efforts to probe the matter and punish those involved in the saga.

He said NANS in the Benin Republic had constituted a committee to probe the matter, adding that the report of its findings would be vital in curbing future occurrences.

"For now, I will say that the Federal Government should look into the issue. Now, you can't, because it is happening in this school, punish everyone because it involved close to 15,000 students in the Benin Republic.

"I have really not validated if it has been happening for a long time. This is just like what just came out on social media and we are still trying to find out how long it has been happening. So, that is why I set up a committee as the president to investigate it," he said.