6,319 UTME results face cancellation as JAMB panel uncovers technology-driven cheating

A Committee set up by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to investigate the rising wave of examination infractions in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has recommended the cancellation of results belonging to 6,319 candidates.

The Committee, inaugurated on August 18, 2025, was tasked with probing suspected cases of malpractice, reviewing JAMB’s examination systems and proposing reforms to strengthen the integrity of the testing process.

Presenting its Report to Is-haq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, at the Board’s Headquarters on Monday, in Abuja, Jake Epelle, the Committee Chairman and Founder of The Albino Foundation, stated that the affected candidates deployed highly sophisticated methods of cheating.

These included 4,251 cases of “finger blending,” 190 cases of AI-assisted image morphing, and 1,878 false disability claims, alongside credential forgery, multiple National Identity Number (NIN) registrations, and syndicate-driven operations involving CBT centres, parents, schools, and tutorial operators.

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Epelle described the infractions as a growing threat to Nigeria’s education system, warning that existing laws were inadequate to deal with biometric and digital fraud. He stressed the need for bold reforms anchored on detection, deterrence, and prevention.

The Committee proposed a wide range of measures, including AI-powered biometric anomaly detection, dual verification systems, real-time monitoring, a National Examination Security Operations Centre, digitised correction workflows, and stricter disability verification processes.

It also urged amendments to the JAMB Act and Examination Malpractice Act to explicitly recognise biometric and technology-driven fraud as punishable offences.

For candidates under 18 years old, the Committee recommended rehabilitative measures under the Child Rights Act, focusing on counselling and supervised re-registration.

“Our conclusion is unambiguous: 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.

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“But if we act with courage through bold reforms, technological innovation, cultural reorientation, and uncompromising enforcement, we can turn this tide.

“Today, as we hand over this report, we affirm our collective commitment to defend the integrity of the Nigerian education system. This report is not just about exposing fraud; it is about charting a new course for transparency, fairness, and meritocracy in admission,” he said

In addition, the panel recommended bans ranging from one to three years for offenders and prosecution of those found culpable, including their collaborators. It also proposed a nationwide “Integrity First” campaign to promote ethical behaviour among students.

Receiving the report, Oloyede assured that JAMB would prioritise implementing the recommendations within its mandate, while consulting Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, on issues requiring policy direction.

The Registrar reiterated that malpractice is not a victimless crime, warning that it undermines public confidence and produces incompetent professionals. He noted that 80 per cent of the infractions were orchestrated by parents.

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“Examination malpractice devalues education, cheats hardworking candidates, and endangers society by producing unfit graduates,” Oloyede said.

While reporting a decline in traditional forms of cheating, with only 140 cases recorded this year, he expressed concern over the rise of technology-driven infractions, describing them as a new frontier of threats to examination integrity.

The Committee, which included experts in education, security, technology, law, and civil society, was given six terms of reference, among them investigating new methods of malpractice, reviewing the cases of 6,458 suspected candidates, and recommending both sanctions and preventive measures.