The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had revealed that a total of 6,458 cases of high technology cheating were reported during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This was revealed during the inauguration of the special committee on investigations.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, on Monday, decried the transition of examination malpractice from traditional schemes to technology-based methods. According to him, tech forms of malpractice saw confirmed cases of biometric and identity fraud by candidates and some accredited CBT centres.
In addition, Oloyede called for urgent interventions and actions to safeguard the integrity of the national examination. He explained that unchecked fraud could mar several sectors and tarnish Nigeria’s image both within and outside.
“Examination malpractice is something that we must fight with every pinch of blood in our veins,” the JAMB boss added.
Aside from the tech-related malpractices, JAMB revealed during the official release of UTME 2025 that 97 candidates got involved in examination misconduct. It added that 2,157 candidates were being investigated for suspected malpractice such as impersonation, illegal assistance, and tampering with exam systems.
Out of 1,931,467 total results released in UTME 2025, 17,025 candidates (0.88%) scored 300 and above, a sharp increase from the 8,401 (0.46%) in 2024.
Additionally, 117,373 candidates (6.08%) scored 250 and above, compared to 77,070 (4.18%) the previous year, while 565,698 candidates (29.3%) scored 200 and above, up from 439,961 (24%) in 2024. This performance surpasses all years since 2017, when 19,889 candidates (0.12%) scored 300 and above out of 1,698,577 total results.
Also Read: All you need to know about the JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
UTME 2025: JAMB set up a special investigation committee
In its efforts to curb rising cases of exam fraud, JAMB has inaugurated a 23-member special committee to investigate cases of technology-driven malpractice detected during the 2025 UTME. Oloyede revealed that the results of the 6,458 candidates remain under investigation for alleged involvement in high-tech cheating.
The JAMB boss explained that the committee will handle extraordinary cases that include image blending, albinism falsification, finger pairing, and attempts to breach the Local Area Network of some CBT centres. He also revealed that 141 cases of normal exam malpractice have been referred to the board’s disciplinary committee.
“This year we came across a number of strange things, and we felt that it would be better if we expand our resources. And we believe that God has endowed this nation with a lot of resources that we can tap from,” Oloyede said.
Members of the committee include Dr. Jake Epele – the Chairman, Prof. Muhammad Bello, Prof. Samuel Odewummi, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, Prof. Ibe Ifeakandu, retired Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni, Dr. Chuks Okpaka of Microsoft Africa, and the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students.
The special committee is expected to investigate cases of image blending, finger blending, false claims of albinism, and result falsification. They’ll also identify the mediums, patterns, resources and technologies used to deploy these fraudulent activities. It will also review the current registration process and recommend improvements where necessary.
In addition, the committee will determine the fate or punishment of each of the 6,458 suspected candidates whose results, excluding the albinism group, are still being withheld.
While the committee has three weeks to deliver the task, they’ll be recommending appropriate disciplinary actions or sanctions against individuals or groups found to be involved. The team will then propose a proactive agenda for the detection and prevention of technologically enabled examination fraud in future examinations.
“We have chosen three weeks because justice delayed is said to be justice denied. In about four weeks, admission will close. And we believe that those who are found not to be guilty should have the opportunity,” Oloyede added.