Any student of the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education in Oyo State working or recruiting for Neolife, a deceptive retail health and wellness marketing organisation, now risks disciplinary action. The conversations particularly focused on how the marketing firm was aggressively penetrating schools to recruit students and distracting them from their studies.
Through a January 7 memo, the university management announced the proscription of the organisation, saying its activities were impeding the academic progress of their students.“The university management has been informed of the illegal activities of a group called NEOLIFE which has been recruiting students to join their businesses,” Wole Akinlabi, a media officer for the school, wrote.“Unfortunately, the conduct of the organisation as alleged is humiliating, as well as affecting academic progress of students involved and so many students who have joined and tried to opt out have faced harassment and torment from the so called NEOLIFE.”With immediate effect, Akinlabi said, all students must quit working with the organisation, warning students from recruiting their fellow students for the company on and off-campus.
“Note that any student caught working for or recruiting for NEOLIFE after this notice will face disciplinary action,” the memo added.FIJ first sighted the memo on the X timeline of Mustapha Gbolahan, better known as ‘Arojinle’, on Wednesday.Confirming the authenticity of the memo to FIJ, Akinlabi said, “Yes, it is from our university.”Neolife came under intense public spotlight recently when many past marketers and their relatives started recounting their ordeals while working for the company.
The conversations particularly focused on how the marketing firm was aggressively penetrating schools to recruit students and distracting them from their studies.
FIJ reported in 2022 how the firm lured many young people with mouthwatering job offers, only to soon realise they had been victims of a pyramid scheme sustained by false hopes and illusions.A Punch report also showed how some people were deceived by the firm, which eventually brainwashed them into believing they could acquire quick massive wealth and become millionaires in a short time.The system sold them the illusion that they could earn in multiple millions of naira monthly if they invited more people to join. This rapidly increased desperation.
Some marketers ended up in debts and prostitution. It is common to see young people walking the streets marketing health supplements. Occasionally, some would resort to begging for money to eat, for transport fare to return to their homes or even boarding a vehicle without paying.Attempts to speak with Neolife for this story were unsuccessful at press time. A phone number, which was supposedly connects to its Nigeria’s headquarters in Lagos, was not connecting. A text message sent to the line by FIJ waas also not responded to.
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