6,458 UTME Results Under Investigation As JAMB Uncovers Sophisticated Exam Fraud
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has launched a fresh crackdown on examination malpractice, inaugurating a 23-member special committee to probe technology-driven fraud detected in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Monday, disclosed that the results of no fewer than 6,458 candidates were being withheld over alleged involvement in high-tech cheating schemes.
He lamented that malpractice had evolved beyond traditional methods into “technologically sophisticated forms,” warning that the menace posed a grave threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.
“This year we came across strange cases. Some candidates and even accredited CBT centres engaged in biometric and identity fraud. We felt it was better to expand our resources and tap into the expertise available in the country. Examination malpractice is something we must fight with every pinch of blood in our veins,” Oloyede said.
The registrar revealed that while 141 cases of conventional malpractice had been forwarded to JAMB’s disciplinary committee, the newly inaugurated panel would handle extraordinary infractions such as image blending, albinism falsification, finger pairing, and attempts to breach Local Area Networks in CBT centres.
According to him, the committee’s mandate includes investigating the cases of advanced fraud, identifying the technologies deployed, reviewing JAMB’s policies, and recommending appropriate sanctions against individuals or groups found culpable.
The panel is also expected to propose a proactive framework to detect and prevent technologically enabled examination malpractice in future.
Oloyede stressed that the committee had only three weeks to submit its report, citing the need to avoid delaying justice. “Admission will close in about four weeks. Those who are not guilty should not be denied their opportunity,” he added.
Responding, the chairman of the committee, Dr Jake Epele, praised Oloyede’s leadership and described the assignment as a “sacred duty.”
He said, “Examination malpractice is not just a breach of rules; it is a direct assault on integrity, merit, and the future of our nation’s youth. This task is a call from God Almighty to defend the credibility of our examinations and restore public confidence.”
The committee comprises academics, security experts, and representatives of critical institutions, including Prof. Muhammad Bello, Prof. Samuel Odewummi, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, Prof. Ibe Ifeakandu, retired Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni, Dr. Chuks Okpaka of Microsoft Africa, and the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students.
Other members include representatives from the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, and the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, among others.
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