Panel Uncovers Fraud In 2025 Unified Tertiary Examination

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has received a study from its Special Committee connected Examination Infractions (SCEI), exposing however technology-driven malpractice was undermining Nigeria’s admittance process.

Presenting the study to the JAMB registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, successful Abuja yesterday, the president of the committee, Dr. Jake Epelle, revealed that the squad uncovered 4,251 cases of “finger blending” and 190 instances of AI-assisted impersonation done representation morphing during its investigations into the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The panel, inaugurated connected August 18, 2025, was tasked with probing rising infractions, reviewing JAMB’s systems, and recommending reforms.

Dr. Epelle described the duty arsenic much than administrative, but a motivation obligation, a nationalist service, and a combat for the psyche of meritocracy successful Nigeria.

Beyond digit blending and AI impersonation, the committee documented 1,878 mendacious disablement claims, forged credentials, aggregate National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and collusion betwixt candidates and introspection syndicates.

According to Dr. Epelle, malpractice has go highly organised, technology-driven, and dangerously normalised. He warned that parents, tutorial centres, schools, and adjacent immoderate CBT operators were complicit successful the fraud, portion anemic ineligible frameworks made enforcement difficult.

To reclaim integrity successful admissions, the committee urged JAMB to follow a multi-pronged effect that includes deploying AI-powered biometric anomaly tools, real-time monitoring, and a cardinal Examination Security Operations Centre.

It besides recommended cancelling fraudulent results, imposing one- to three-year bans, prosecuting offenders and collaborators, and establishing a Central Sanctions Registry accessible to institutions and employers.

On prevention, the sheet called for digitising correction processes, strengthening disablement verification, tightening mobile-first platforms, and outlawing bulk school-led registrations. It further advised ineligible reforms done amendments to the JAMB Act and Examination Malpractice Act to recognise biometric and integer fraud, arsenic good arsenic the instauration of a Legal Unit wrong JAMB.

The committee besides stressed the request for taste reorientation, urging a nationwide Integrity First campaign, the embedding of morals successful schoolhouse curricula, and parental accountability for aiding malpractice. For under-18 offenders, it recommends rehabilitative measures nether the Child Rights Act, including counselling and supervised re-registration alternatively than punitive sanctions.

The committee warned that unless urgent reforms are implemented, the credibility of Nigeria’s acquisition strategy volition beryllium further eroded.

“If near unchecked, introspection malpractice volition proceed to erode merit, undermine nationalist trust, and destruct the precise instauration of Nigeria’s acquisition and quality superior development,” Dr. Epelle said.

Upon receiving the report, JAMB Registrar Oloyede said it would beryllium fixed accelerated attention, particularly connected issues that autumn wrong JAMB’s purview. The Board volition interface with the National Assembly for reappraisal of its ineligible instrumentality wherever necessary.

He said the committee’s enactment underscored JAMB’s committedness to transparency and credibility arsenic an appraisal body, stressing that malpractice has devastating consequences for individuals and the nation.

Oloyede called for parenting by example, stating that 80 per cent of the malpractice cases nationwide were planned and executed by parents.

According to him, specified parental complicity not lone undermines ethical standards but besides “seamlessly integrates children into the satellite of criminality,” perpetuating a rhythm of dishonesty and underdevelopment.

“Examination malpractice is not a victimless crime. It devalues education, cheats hardworking candidates, and produces incompetent professionals, engineers who cannot build, doctors who endanger lives, and graduates unfit to lend to society,” helium said.

The JAMB brag assured that the exam assemblage was committed to providing an acquisition appraisal effect that tin ever beryllium trusted due to the fact that of its validity and standards.

Oloyede, however, noted that exam malpractice successful UTME was declining arsenic lone 140 cases were recorded this twelvemonth but registration infractions oregon technologically-induced fraud was the large occupation arsenic it is inactive caller to the system.

He warned that technologically-induced introspection malpractice poses a sedate menace to Nigeria’s acquisition system, nationalist integrity, and semipermanent development.