A panel investigating malpractice in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has advised the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to cancel the results of 6,319 candidates implicated in technology-enabled cheating.
The said panel also recommended that offenders face bans lasting between one and three years, in addition to prosecution alongside their accomplices.
While submitting the report to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, on Monday at the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, the committee chairman and Founder of The Albino Foundation, Dr. Jake Epelle, explained that candidates had used advanced techniques such as “finger blending,” AI-powered image manipulation, and falsified disability claims.
Specifically, the report “documented 4,251 cases of finger blending, 190 cases of AI image morphing, and 1,878 false declarations of albinism. Other violations included credential forgery, multiple National Identity Number (NIN) registrations, and syndicate-driven schemes involving CBT centers, schools, parents, tutorial operators, and technical accomplices.”
Epelle stressed that existing legal frameworks for addressing biometric and digital fraud were inadequate, warning that public confidence in the examination process was at risk.
Committee Recommends Stronger Laws, Tech-Driven Security
The panel advised the adoption of a comprehensive framework built on detection, deterrence, and prevention. Among the suggested measures were the deployment of AI tools for spotting biometric irregularities, the introduction of dual verification processes, live monitoring during exams, the establishment of a National Examination Security Operations Centre, as well as digitised correction systems and stricter checks for disability claims.
It further called for updates to the JAMB Act and the Examination Malpractice Act, stressing the need to explicitly classify biometric and digital-related fraud as criminal offences that carry enforceable penalties.
In addition to these measures, the committee proposed a nationwide “Integrity First” campaign to promote ethics and values among students.
For candidates under 18 years old, the committee recommended rehabilitative measures under the Child Rights Act, focusing on counseling and supervised re-registration.
Epelle said, “Registrar Sir, 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.
“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 admissions.”
“On behalf of the Committee, I thank you, Registrar, for the opportunity to serve our nation in this capacity. May the recommendations contained herein contribute to strengthening JAMB, safeguarding our future, and building a Nigeria where merit, not malpractice, determines destiny.”
In response to the report, Oloyede pledged that the Board would give priority to carrying out the recommendations, especially those directly under JAMB’s authority, while also engaging the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on matters requiring broader action.
He stressed that examination malpractice weakens the integrity of assessments and carries serious long-term implications.
He said, “Examination malpractice is not a victimless crime. It devalues education, cheats hardworking candidates, and produces incompetent professionals, engineers who cannot build, doctors who endanger lives, and graduates unfit to contribute to society.”
The registrar noted that 80 per cent of malpractice cases were orchestrated by parents, warning that such complicity entrenches children in dishonesty and perpetuates underdevelopment.
While reporting a decline in traditional malpractice as only 140 cases were recorded this year, he cautioned that new technology-driven infractions remain a growing threat.
According to him, JAMB is pursuing a three-pronged strategy involving sanctions, investment in integrity through technology, and moral education to combat malpractice.
According to The Nation, the Registrar praised the committee’s independence and professionalism in the course of the assignment.
Oloyede had earlier, at the inauguration of the committee on August 18, lamented the increasing sophistication of examination fraud. He disclosed that the results of 6,458 candidates were still under review over allegations of technology-driven malpractice.
He explained that the committee was given a three-week window to complete its work, ensuring that candidates cleared of wrongdoing would have enough time to pursue admission before the September deadline.
Made up of specialists from academia, technology, security, civil society, and the legal field, the committee was tasked with six mandates. These included examining the techniques used in malpractice, reviewing the cases of the 6,458 flagged candidates, and recommending both disciplinary actions and preventive strategies.
