The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has inaugurated a special investigative panel to address rising cases of high-tech malpractice recorded during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Registrar of the board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, said on Monday in Abuja that the results of 6,458 candidates had been withheld over allegations of advanced fraud techniques, ranging from biometric manipulation to falsified identities and breaches of CBT centre networks.
Oloyede stressed the urgency of the probe, warning that unchecked malpractice could undermine the education system and damage Nigeria’s international image. “We must fight this with every pinch of blood in our veins,” he said.
The 23-member committee is tasked with investigating fraudulent practices such as image blending and false albinism claims, identifying the technologies employed, and recommending policy reforms. It has three weeks to complete its work in order to allow genuine candidates to proceed with admissions.
Committee chair, Dr Jake Epele, vowed the panel would deliver, calling examination malpractice “a direct assault on integrity, merit, and the nation’s future.”
Members of the committee include senior academics, ICT experts from Microsoft Africa, a retired police commissioner, and representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students.
