Echono disclosed this information while addressing journalists at the TETFund Management retreat in Makurdi, Benue State, on Monday. He outlined the board's intentions to make the absconded lecturers either refund the money spent on them or face repatriation.

The TETFund Executive Secretary explained that the board has devised two measures, which he classified as "soft and hard," to ensure the appropriate sanctioning of university lecturers who have absconded.

He said, “I don’t want to give figure because it’s alarming it’s very sad that this opportunity that is being given is being abused.

“The figure is comprehensive. That is why it’s a bit large because there are others who have come back home but did not complete the minimum  of their bond before deciding to relocate or what is called  japa syndrome.

“We have database now, which we  are refining each time because the instiutions are the one submitting the report. Although it is a difficult thing to get accurate report but for some, it’s not that they absconded but they exceeded their course period.

“But  some have extension in their programme but we have a very good idea and the number is not encouraging and I can tell you that even the security agencies are also becoming interested and they are looking at that.”

Speaking on the sanctions, he said, “What we are doing, first as a soft landing, we are requiring anybody who have benefitted from our programme and do not come back to make the full refund of the money expended  in training them.

“The other option which is the harder one is that we are collaborating with our embassies, the embassies of the country where they are and the institutions.

“You will have recalled recently  when I met with foreign instiutions  that will sponsor our candidate. I made it a condition for further patronage that those of our scholars that went to such institutions and did not return, that they  must provide that information to the relevant authorities to their own equivalent of their internal affairs because they’re staying on visas that have not expired or did not permit them to seek employment.