By Uji A. Iliyasu
More than 80 percent of the 98,232 candidates eligible for Saturday’s nationwide mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) failed to attend, according to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, attributed the low turnout to heightened security measures aimed at identifying impersonators and curbing examination malpractice.
Prof. Oloyede, who monitored the exercise at the Technology CBT Centre in NAF Valley Estate, Abuja, described the turnout as “alarmingly low,” noting that only around 12 percent of registered candidates appeared across the country.
“The mop-up exam is typically organised for a few thousand candidates with genuine reasons—such as illness or verified technical issues—for missing the main UTME,” he explained. “Each year, this exercise covers about 4,000 to 5,000 students. But this year, due to reports of widespread absences, we decided to offer a second chance to all affected candidates, while simultaneously using the opportunity to detect fraud.”
The Registrar revealed that intelligence from the State Security Service (SSS) and the police played a key role in the board’s decision to widen access to the mop-up exam. This allowed JAMB to target syndicates involved in impersonation and other forms of malpractice.
“Out of over 90,000 candidates eligible, only about 12,000 indicated interest in taking the mop-up exam. Some CBT centres, which were expecting 250 candidates per session, recorded fewer than 20 attendees,” Oloyede said.
He blamed the low turnout on organised fraud rings, particularly those operating under the guise of tutorial centres and some private school proprietors, who he accused of facilitating large-scale malpractice.
“We are dealing with syndicates who are deeply embedded within so-called tutorial centres and schools. The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with security agencies, is determined to stamp out this menace,” he said.
Highlighting an unusual trend, the JAMB boss disclosed that nearly 1,800 candidates falsely claimed to be albinos in an attempt to bypass facial recognition technology used during exams.
“Historically, we have never recorded more than 100 albino candidates in any year. But this year, we had 1,787. One centre alone registered 450—clearly an attempt to exploit the system. AI facial recognition has specific limitations with certain complexions and lighting effects, which these fraudsters are trying to manipulate through image blending techniques,” he said.
Oloyede recounted an incident in Benin where a black man pretending to be an albino was arrested. He explained how impersonators digitally blend their facial images with the intended candidate’s to confuse facial recognition systems.
“These candidates registered with their names, NINs, and phone numbers. The security agencies are fully equipped to track and apprehend them. A number have already been picked up,” he said.
He also issued a stern warning to parents who fund these schemes, indicating that they too would be investigated and potentially prosecuted.
On the release of the mop-up exam results, Oloyede noted they were expected by Saturday but may be delayed until Monday to allow for thorough verification and the removal of fraudulent entries.
Speaking on Direct Entry (DE) admissions, the registrar disclosed that 14 candidates had already been caught submitting forged certificates in the current cycle. He criticised educational institutions for enabling the fraud.
“We recently uncovered cases where students who never attended any NCE programme were awarded fake certificates to gain Direct Entry admission. One candidate, who graduated from secondary school in 2021, was allegedly admitted to an NCE programme in 2020, with a backdated certificate showing graduation in 2023,” he said.
Oloyede lamented that some institutions were taking advantage of a 2017–2020 government condonement policy that forgave previously unauthorised admissions. Now that the window has closed, some institutions are allegedly backdating admissions and issuing fraudulent certificates to continue exploiting the system.
“In some cases, individuals who have already graduated as medical doctors are now trying to retroactively present O-Level results in Biology and Chemistry. You cannot fix such gaps after graduation. If you want to study engineering, you must have a credit in Mathematics before the training begins, not after,” he said.
The JAMB Registrar concluded by affirming that institutions found guilty of issuing fake certificates would be held accountable.
Over 80% of UTME mop-up candidates absent amid crackdown on impersonation — JAMB
By Uji A. Iliyasu
More than 80 percent of the 98,232 candidates eligible for Saturday’s nationwide mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) failed to attend, according to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, attributed the low turnout to heightened security measures aimed at identifying impersonators and curbing examination malpractice.
Prof. Oloyede, who monitored the exercise at the Technology CBT Centre in NAF Valley Estate, Abuja, described the turnout as “alarmingly low,” noting that only around 12 percent of registered candidates appeared across the country.
“The mop-up exam is typically organised for a few thousand candidates with genuine reasons—such as illness or verified technical issues—for missing the main UTME,” he explained. “Each year, this exercise covers about 4,000 to 5,000 students. But this year, due to reports of widespread absences, we decided to offer a second chance to all affected candidates, while simultaneously using the opportunity to detect fraud.”
The Registrar revealed that intelligence from the State Security Service (SSS) and the police played a key role in the board’s decision to widen access to the mop-up exam. This allowed JAMB to target syndicates involved in impersonation and other forms of malpractice.
“Out of over 90,000 candidates eligible, only about 12,000 indicated interest in taking the mop-up exam. Some CBT centres, which were expecting 250 candidates per session, recorded fewer than 20 attendees,” Oloyede said.
He blamed the low turnout on organised fraud rings, particularly those operating under the guise of tutorial centres and some private school proprietors, who he accused of facilitating large-scale malpractice.
“We are dealing with syndicates who are deeply embedded within so-called tutorial centres and schools. The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with security agencies, is determined to stamp out this menace,” he said.
Highlighting an unusual trend, the JAMB boss disclosed that nearly 1,800 candidates falsely claimed to be albinos in an attempt to bypass facial recognition technology used during exams.
“Historically, we have never recorded more than 100 albino candidates in any year. But this year, we had 1,787. One centre alone registered 450—clearly an attempt to exploit the system. AI facial recognition has specific limitations with certain complexions and lighting effects, which these fraudsters are trying to manipulate through image blending techniques,” he said.
Oloyede recounted an incident in Benin where a black man pretending to be an albino was arrested. He explained how impersonators digitally blend their facial images with the intended candidate’s to confuse facial recognition systems.
“These candidates registered with their names, NINs, and phone numbers. The security agencies are fully equipped to track and apprehend them. A number have already been picked up,” he said.
He also issued a stern warning to parents who fund these schemes, indicating that they too would be investigated and potentially prosecuted.
On the release of the mop-up exam results, Oloyede noted they were expected by Saturday but may be delayed until Monday to allow for thorough verification and the removal of fraudulent entries.
Speaking on Direct Entry (DE) admissions, the registrar disclosed that 14 candidates had already been caught submitting forged certificates in the current cycle. He criticised educational institutions for enabling the fraud.
“We recently uncovered cases where students who never attended any NCE programme were awarded fake certificates to gain Direct Entry admission. One candidate, who graduated from secondary school in 2021, was allegedly admitted to an NCE programme in 2020, with a backdated certificate showing graduation in 2023,” he said.
Oloyede lamented that some institutions were taking advantage of a 2017–2020 government condonement policy that forgave previously unauthorised admissions. Now that the window has closed, some institutions are allegedly backdating admissions and issuing fraudulent certificates to continue exploiting the system.
“In some cases, individuals who have already graduated as medical doctors are now trying to retroactively present O-Level results in Biology and Chemistry. You cannot fix such gaps after graduation. If you want to study engineering, you must have a credit in Mathematics before the training begins, not after,” he said.
The JAMB Registrar concluded by affirming that institutions found guilty of issuing fake certificates would be held accountable.