JAMB panel uncovers sophisticated exam fraud, urges sweeping reforms
By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja
The Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI) of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has exposed alarming levels of technologically-driven malpractice in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Presenting the committee’s findings in Abuja on Monday, Chairman Dr Jake Ekpelle, described the situation as a “highly organised, culturally normalised enterprise” that poses a grave threat to meritocracy in Nigeria.
He disclosed that investigators documented 4,251 cases of “finger blending”, 190 instances of AI-assisted image morphing, 1,878 false declarations of albinism, in addition to widespread credential forgery, multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and organised solicitation rings.
“The scale and sophistication shocked us. This fraud is not perpetrated by candidates alone; it is sustained by syndicates involving some CBT centres, schools, parents, tutorial operators, and even technical accomplices,” he said.
The committee, inaugurated on 18 August 2025, was tasked with probing methods of malpractice, reviewing 6,458 suspected cases, and recommending sanctions and preventive measures.
Ekpelle noted that existing legal frameworks are inadequate to tackle biometric and digital fraud, adding that public confidence in Nigeria’s examination system is “dangerously eroding”.
“Worst of all, malpractice is increasingly seen as an acceptable shortcut to success,” he warned.
Key Recommendations
The committee proposed a five-pronged strategy:
Detection: Deployment of AI-powered biometric anomaly systems, real-time monitoring, and a National Examination Security Operations Centre.
Deterrence: Cancellation of fraudulent results, bans of one to three years, prosecution of offenders and collaborators, and the creation of a Central Sanctions Registry accessible to institutions and employers.
Prevention: Digitisation of correction processes, tighter disability verification, a ban on bulk school-led registrations, and improved mobile-first self-service platforms.
Legal Reform: Amendments to the JAMB Act and the Examination Malpractice Act to address biometric and digital fraud, with a dedicated Legal Unit within JAMB.
Cultural Reorientation: A national “Integrity First” campaign, embedding ethics into school curricula, and holding parents accountable.
For offenders under 18, the committee recommended rehabilitative measures under the Child Rights Act, including counselling and supervised re-registration.
“If left unchecked, malpractice will erode merit, undermine trust, and cripple human capital development. But with bold reforms and technological innovation, the tide can be turned,” Ekpelle concluded.
JAMB’s Response
Receiving the report, JAMB Registrar Prof Ishaq Oloyede pledged swift action, noting that the board would adopt recommendations within its purview and work with the National Assembly on necessary legislative reviews.
He emphasised that malpractice has far-reaching consequences: “It produces incompetent professionals—engineers who cannot build, doctors who endanger lives, and graduates unfit to contribute to society.”
Oloyede stressed the role of parents, revealing that 80 per cent of malpractice cases were facilitated by them. “This parental complicity not only erodes ethics but seamlessly inducts children into criminality,” he said.
Although he noted that reported cases of exam-room malpractice have dropped to 140 this year, Oloyede warned that technologically induced fraud remains the greater challenge.
He outlined JAMB’s own three-pronged strategy: uncompromising sanctions, heavy investment in integrity-enhancing technology, and moral education to instil values of honesty and character.
On underage candidates, the Registrar reaffirmed that those below 16 remain ineligible for admission, save for exceptional cases vetted through approved mechanisms. “Education is not guesswork. Anyone seeking to change the law should approach the National Assembly,” he said.
Commending the committee for its professionalism, Oloyede assured that JAMB would implement its evidence-based recommendations to safeguard the credibility of Nigeria’s education system.