The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has raised the alarm over sophisticated forms of malpractice that, it says, are threatening the fairness of Nigeria’s university admission process.
The warning came on Monday in Abuja following the submission of a report by JAMB’s Special Committee on Examination Infractions, chaired by Dr. Jake Epelle, to Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede.
The panel, inaugurated on August 18, 2025, was tasked with probing irregularities in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), evaluating the board’s systems, and recommending reforms.
Epelle told reporters that the investigation uncovered “alarming new methods of fraud,” including 4,251 cases of “finger blending”—manipulation of biometric verification—190 cases of AI-powered impersonation using image morphing, and 1,878 false disability claims.
Other findings included forged credentials, multiple NIN registrations, and collusion between candidates and organised networks.
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He added that the investigation implicated parents, tutorial centres, some schools, and CBT operators, while weak laws made enforcement difficult.
“To us this was a moral obligation, a national service and a fight for the soul of meritocracy in Nigeria,” Epelle said, describing malpractice as “highly organised, technology-driven and dangerously normalised.”
To address the problem, the panel recommended measures such as AI-powered biometric checks, real-time monitoring, a central Examination Security Operations Centre, cancellation of fraudulent results, prosecution of offenders, and bans ranging from one to three years.
It also called for a Central Sanctions Registry for schools and employers, tighter verification processes, and a ban on bulk registrations by schools.
Legal reforms, including amendments to the JAMB Act and the Examination Malpractice Act to cover biometric and digital fraud, were also proposed.
The committee urged JAMB to create a Legal Unit, introduce ethics in school curricula, and launch an “Integrity First” campaign that would hold parents accountable for encouraging malpractice.
For offenders under 18, the panel recommended rehabilitation measures such as counselling and supervised reintegration under the Child Rights Act, rather than punitive sanctions.
Epelle warned that unless immediate reforms are adopted, Nigeria risks losing public confidence in its education system.
“If left unchecked, examination malpractice will continue to erode merit, undermine public trust, and destroy the very foundation of Nigeria’s education and human capital development,” he cautioned.
