JAMB orders arrest of parents found near CBT centres during 2024 UTME

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has instructed all Computer-Based Test center owners to arrest any parent found loitering near their facilities during the upcoming 2024 UTME exercise.

According to the board, preparations have been completed for the 2024 UTME, slated to take place across more than 700 CBT centers nationwide.

This directive was issued during the final briefing of the Computer-Based Test Center owners, conducted virtually on Wednesday, April 17th, 2024. A transcript of the briefing was obtained by our correspondent on Thursday in Abuja.

JAMB explained that the directive was prompted by the intrusive behavior of some parents observed during previous Board exercises.

According to the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, “Any parent, who disobeys this order, would not only be arrested but his ward would also be disqualified from sitting the examination.

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“This measure is necessary as it has been discovered over time that many of these intruding parents are facilitators of examination infractions while others have, by their actions, disrupted the Board’s examinations in the past. Some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions.”

Consequently, the Registrar disclosed that the Board has directed security operatives to work with the centres to apprehend any meddlesome parent, who comes near the centres.

“Some miscreants also disguise as parents to infiltrate the centres to perpetrate all forms of infractions. Consequently, the Registrar disclosed that the Board has directed security operatives to work with the centres to apprehend any meddlesome parent, who come near the centres.”

The board’s helmsman noted that going by the extant national policy on education, a candidate for the examination must have attained the age of 17 years. Therefore, it is evident that these parents had not allowed their wards to pass through the classes as defined in the document, hence, the determination to follow their wards to the examination venue to compromise examination officials.

“At any rate, it is clear to any discerning observer that these parents deserve to be sanctioned as they had obviously ‘smuggled’ underage children into the ranks of those scheduled to sit the examination,” Oloyede said.

The board also availed itself of the opportunity provided by the meeting to advise candidates to jealously guard their details, e-mail address, as well as their registration and phone numbers.