The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says investigations have uncovered organised syndicates, some using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to impersonate officials and
defraud candidates in the 2026 Unifed Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede announced plans to dismiss three staff members for selling unauthorised access to its examination portal, as it intensifies a nationwide crackdown on examination fraud ahead of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
“This briefing addresses a grave development that strikes at the heart of fairness, merit and integrity. We have invested heavily to protect honest candidates, but criminal networks and willing collaborators continue to test the system”, he said.
The Registrar disclosed that more than 100 candidates allegedly paid for illegal assistance, adding that their UTME registrations may be cancelled, subject to approval by the Minister of Education.
He also confirmed that two additional staff in Kaduna and Katsina states remain under active investigation, while sanctions loom for candidates and parents implicated in the scheme.
The registrar stressed that parents and candidates involved “cannot be regarded as innocent”.
“We have the capacity to clamp down on exam malpractice,” the registrar says. Our only challenge is public opinion. When we act, some label us draconian.
“Paying for examination fraud is a crime,it does not secure a child’s future; it destroys it”, he stated.
The Board further raised concern over underage participation, disclosing that about 38,000 candidates registered this year were below the approved age, warning that many are increasingly linked to malpractice rings.
It also denied increasing registration fees adding that several CBT centres and tutorial proprietors linked to fraud had been suspended or taken into custody as security agencies, including the DSS and Police were supporting ongoing investigations.
