The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has sounded the alarm over the rise of highly sophisticated digital examination fraud in Nigeria, calling for urgent and radical countermeasures to safeguard the integrity of the nation’s education system.

Speaking in Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, described the evolving methods of malpractice as not only deeply troubling but also dangerously capable of undermining learning, research, and national development.

In the latest edition of the JAMB Bulletin released Monday, Oloyede lamented that the scourge of digital fraud now poses a serious threat to the future of education in Nigeria. “We cannot afford to treat this menace with levity. The stakes are too high,” he said.

He criticized those who choose to focus on spreading conspiracy theories and hate instead of confronting the real issues, warning that such distractions only enable fraudsters to continue sabotaging the system unchecked.

During the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), JAMB uncovered advanced levels of malpractice that led to the cancellation of some results and the arrest of several suspects across the country.

According to Oloyede, new tactics include the collusion of CBT (Computer-Based Test) centre operators and school proprietors to hack into exam systems. These bad actors allegedly gained remote access to candidates’ computers, submitting answers on their behalf via local servers.

Other shocking discoveries include:

• AI-powered impersonation: Candidates’ photos were digitally blended with those of impersonators—many of whom are current undergraduates.

• Fingerprint collusion: Multiple fingerprints from different individuals were used to register a single candidate.

• Remote ‘strong rooms’: Some centres extended their local networks to offsite locations to enable real-time cheating.

• Mercenary matchmaking: Candidates were strategically paired with professional test-takers to gain unauthorized access to exams.

Disturbingly, Oloyede revealed that over 3,000 candidates have been identified as either direct beneficiaries or accomplices in these fraudulent schemes.

The Federal Government, reacting to these revelations, has ordered a nationwide crackdown on so-called “miracle centres” and imposed a three-year ban on candidates caught engaging in malpractice.

“This is no longer just an education issue—it’s a national emergency,” Oloyede stressed. “If we fail to act now, we risk raising a generation built on fraud.”