The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially released the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) resit — a special exercise conducted for candidates affected by technical disruptions at certain centres during the main examination. However, the results were accompanied by a thunderous revelation: the discovery of widespread, sophisticated examination fraud implicating over 3,000 candidates, school proprietors, and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across the country.
In a detailed statement issued on Sunday and signed by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Board announced that of the 336,845 candidates scheduled for the resit, 21,082 failed to appear. Despite this setback, performance trends remained in line with historical data, ranging from an 11% success rate in 2013 to a peak of 34% in 2016.
While reviewing the resit exercise, JAMB’s Chief External Examiners (CEEs), chaired by Professor Olufemi Peters, Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), invited psychometrics expert Professor Boniface Nworgu to independently validate the integrity of the results. The review unearthed a disturbing ecosystem of academic fraud powered by advanced digital tools, insider collusion, and a new wave of cyber-enabled malpractice.
Among the sophisticated schemes exposed were the use of AI-driven photo manipulation for impersonation, illegal extension of CBT centre networks to off-site “strong rooms,” remote submission of answers through network hacking, and pairing of candidates with paid mercenaries to sit exams on their behalf. JAMB described these methods as an “industrial-scale operation” threatening the nation’s educational future.
“This is no longer mere malpractice — it’s a tech-powered assault on the credibility of Nigeria’s education system,” the Board lamented.
In response, JAMB blacklisted several CBT centres found to have altered biometric data or aided impersonators. Proprietors and facilitators behind these centres will face criminal prosecution, while others directly involved are currently being pursued by security agencies.
The Board also revealed that certain candidates involved in “WhatsApp runs” and other illicit digital platforms have been identified. While some were granted a one-time waiver under strict conditions, JAMB stressed that this leniency should not be mistaken for tolerance. “This is a stern warning,” the statement read, “JAMB will not hesitate to enforce the full weight of the law on future offenders.”
Underage candidates—many of whom previously submitted undertakings acknowledging their academic limitations—had their results released solely for documentation purposes. These candidates remain ineligible for admission.
Absentee candidates, especially those who missed both the main UTME and the resit due to valid reasons, have been granted a final lifeline through the annual mop-up examination.
In a dramatic twist, JAMB debunked a viral claim made by one Mr. Olisa Gabriel Chukwuemeka, a first-year Public Health student at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), who falsely touted a UTME score of 326. Investigations revealed that Chukwuemeka had doctored his 2024 score of 203 and presented it as his 2025 result. His actual 2025 score was 180, which has now been withdrawn following the ongoing probe. After being unmasked, he promptly deactivated his account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Reacting to tribal insinuations surrounding the cancellation of UTME sessions in six states, JAMB dismissed such narratives as misleading and counterproductive. The Board clarified that no high-flyers were affected, with 99% of the cancelled candidates scoring below 200.
Despite the turbulence, JAMB extended profound gratitude to Nigeria’s security agencies for their tireless work in unearthing and dismantling fraudulent networks. Special thanks were also directed to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Ahmadu Bello University, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), and the National Examinations Council (NECO) for adjusting their schedules to accommodate the resit.
JAMB reiterated that the CBT model remains the most secure and efficient system for administering exams in the 21st century, notwithstanding the emerging threats.
In closing, Dr. Fabian Benjamin appealed to Nigerians to defend the sanctity of the education system against the growing tide of cybercrime and examination malpractice.
“Our future is being mortgaged by a rising wave of digitally-driven fraud. This is a clarion call for unity, vigilance, and decisive action,” the Board declared.
As the dust settles on the 2025 UTME saga, JAMB stands firm in its resolve to protect the credibility of Nigeria’s admission process — even if it means taking on a technologically-empowered underworld of academic deceit.
PIONEER NEWS 