JAMB Launches Probe Into Tech-Driven Exam Malpractice
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has set up a 23-member committee to investigate advanced exam malpractice spotted in the 2025 UTME. Over 6,400 results are still under review for suspected fraud. The committee has three weeks to submit findings and recommend actions.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has stirred the waters again, this time with a tough call. On Monday in Abuja, its Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, announced the birth of a 23-member special committee. Their task is no small one: look deep into how technology is being used to cheat in the 2025 UTME.
More than 6,400 results are hanging in the balance. Suspended, waiting, uncertain. Why? Because JAMB suspects the candidates may have danced with high-tech tricks during the exam. Not the usual copying or smuggling notes. No, this time it is biometric fraud, false identities, and attempts to hack into CBT networks.
The words of the Registrar
Prof Oloyede spoke bluntly. He said examination malpractice has shifted ground, turning into something far more slippery. “Examination malpractice is something we must fight with every pinch of blood in our veins,” he declared. Strong words, maybe, but he argued that anything less would wound Nigeria’s future and spoil its name abroad.
He added that while the usual cases, about 141 of them, are already with the disciplinary committee, this new panel will focus on the “extraordinary” type. Cases like finger pairing, image blending, and even people pretending to be albino just to beat the system. Wild, right?
What the committee must tackle
Their terms of reference were spelled out clearly, almost like a to-do list:
- Probe all cases of image and finger blending, fake albinism claims, and result falsification.
- Identify the tools and methods used to pull off these tricks.
- Review JAMB’s current policies on exams and registration, then point out gaps.
- Decide the fate of the 6,458 candidates whose results are still on hold.
- Recommend punishment where needed.
- Suggest a lasting framework to catch and stop high-tech exam fraud in the future.
- Deliver a full report within three weeks.
The Registrar explained the short timeline. Admissions close in about four weeks, so those proven innocent must get their results quickly to avoid missing their chance.
Voices from the committee
The chairman, Dr Jake Epele, did not mince words either. He called the job a “sacred one” and likened it to a call from God. To him, exam malpractice is not just breaking rules, it is an attack on merit and honesty. He promised fairness, transparency, and determination.
Who is on board
The committee is a mix of professors, security officials, and tech experts. Members include:
- 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
- President of the National Association of Nigerian Students
Also on the list are reps from the Office of the National Security Adviser, DSS, Nigeria Police Force, and the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools.
Why this matters
For many, exams are a gateway, maybe the only one. So if the process is polluted, the future of thousands hangs by a thread. This is why JAMB’s move is stirring such talk. Tech can be a blessing, but left unchecked, it can also open the back door for fraud.
So here we are. A committee, three weeks, and the weight of more than six thousand futures on the table. The question now is, will this fresh effort restore faith in the system, or will students still be left wondering? Time go tell.
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