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ARISE News has barred political analyst Anthony Kila from appearing on its television channel and other platforms over allegations of falsification of his academic credentials raised in an investigative report by Premium Times.
The television network announced the decision on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, saying it would no longer feature Kila following his failure to respond to questions about his academic qualifications within the period it gave him.
In a disclaimer issued by its Editorial Board, ARISE News said it contacted Kila on October 3 to present the allegations and give him an opportunity to respond.
According to the network, Kila requested additional time to address the claims but had yet to provide an explanation 10 days after the initial contact.
“He asked for more time to respond to the claims. He has not responded 10 days after,” the statement said.
The network added that the allegations had continued to intensify, making it untenable for Kila to continue appearing on its programmes.
“In the circumstances, we find that his contributions to the ARISE News Channel are no longer tenable,” it stated.
ARISE News said it was unaware of the allegations when Kila appeared on its programmes as a freelance political analyst, stressing that it took issues of credibility and integrity seriously.
The channel said it had taken note of the findings published by Premium Times and confirmed that the decision to exclude Kila from its platforms took immediate effect.
“Mr Kila will not be appearing on our networks at any time now or in the future, effective immediately,” the statement added.
The decision followed a series of investigative reports by Premium Times questioning Kila’s professorial title and the academic qualifications he claimed to have obtained from institutions in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and Italy.
In its initial report, published on October 3, the newspaper reported that its investigation found no evidence that a recognised academic institution had awarded Kila the professorial title he had used publicly for years.
The investigation also raised questions about his designation as a Jean Monnet Professor of Strategy and Development, which he attributed to the European Centre for Advanced and Professional Studies.
According to the newspaper, its enquiries found that the institution could not be verified and that the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, which administers Jean Monnet programmes, did not recognise his claimed professorship.
In a follow-up investigation published on October 10, Premium Times reported discrepancies in Kila’s claimed bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as other postgraduate qualifications.
The newspaper said some of the institutions contacted disowned the qualifications attributed to them, while others indicated that they did not offer the programmes Kila claimed to have completed.
In his response to the newspaper, Kila said he was compiling his academic and professional documents and would make them available.
“I am currently putting together my academic and professional documents, and they will be ready soon,” he reportedly told the newspaper.
The controversy has also extended beyond the television network.
Kila, who was appointed Pro-Chancellor of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University in Delta State in August 2025, was asked to step aside by the institution pending an investigation into his professorial status.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has also constituted a team to investigate the allegations surrounding his academic credentials and whether the university benefited from his actions.
ARISE News’ decision adds to the institutional consequences of the controversy, as questions over Kila’s academic qualifications continue to attract public attention.
