The Special Committee on Examination Infractions, SCEI, set up by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has uncovered shocking levels of technologically-enabled examination malpractice in Nigeria’s 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
Chairman of the Committee, Dr Jake Ekpelle, lamented that examination malpractice has evolved into a “highly organized, culturally normalized enterprise” that threatens the foundation of meritocracy in the country.
Ekpelle, who stated this while delivering the committee’s report to JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, on Monday in Abuja, said the findings were both disturbing and urgent.
He revealed that out of thousands of documented cases, there were 4,251 instances of “finger blending”, 190 cases of AI-assisted image morphing, 1,878 false claims of albinism, alongside widespread credential forgery, multiple National Identification Number, NIN, registrations, and organized solicitation rings.
“We documented 4,251 cases of “finger blending”, 190 cases of AI-assisted image morphing, 1,878 false declarations of albinism, and numerous cases of credential forgery, multiple NIN registrations, and solicitation schemes.
According to him, the scale and sophistication of the malpractice shocked the committee.
“This fraud is not the work of candidates alone. It is sustained by syndicates involving some CBT centres, schools, parents, tutorial operators, and even technical accomplices,” he said.
The committee, composed of experts from academia, technology, security, civil society, and law, was inaugurated on August 18, 2025, and given six clear terms of reference, including investigating methods of malpractice, reviewing the cases of 6,458 suspected candidates, and recommending sanctions and preventive measures.
Ekpelle added that legal frameworks remain inadequate to tackle biometric and digital fraud, while public confidence in Nigeria’s examination system is dangerously eroding.
“Worst of all, malpractice has become culturally normalized, seen by many as an acceptable shortcut to success,” he said.
The committee recommended a multi-layered framework anchored on detection, deterrence, and prevention to restore integrity and boost confidence in the system.
On detection, the committee called for the deployment of AI-powered biometric anomaly systems, real-time monitoring, and a National Examination Security Operations Centre.
“Deterrence: Cancel results of confirmed fraudulent candidates, impose bans of 1–3 years, prosecute both candidates and their collaborators, and create a Central Sanctions Registry accessible to institutions and employers.
“Prevention: Strengthen mobile-first self-service platforms, digitize correction workflows, tighten disability verification, and ban bulk school-led registrations.
“Legal Reform: Amend the JAMB Act and the Examination Malpractice Act to recognize biometric and digital fraud, and provide for a Legal Unit within JAMB.
“Cultural Reorientation: Launch a nationwide Integrity First campaign, embed ethics into curricula, and enforce parental accountability.
“Special Measures for Minors: For under-18 offenders, apply rehabilitative measures under the Child Rights Act, with focus on counseling and supervised re-registration,” he said.
Epelle warned that if left unchecked, malpractice would continue to “erode merit, undermine public trust, and destroy the foundation of Nigeria’s human capital development.”
“But if we act with courage—through bold reforms, technological innovation, and uncompromising enforcement—we can turn the tide,” he said.
While receiving the report, JAMB Registrar, Oloyede, noted that the report will be given accelerated attention, especially on issues that fall within the purview of JAMB, while the Board will interface with the National Assembly for review of its legal instrument where necessary.
He said the committee’s work underscored JAMB’s commitment to transparency and credibility as an assessment body, stressing that malpractice has devastating consequences for individuals and the nation.
Oloyede called for parenting, by example, stating that 80 per cent of the malpractice cases nationwide were planned and executed by parents.
According to him such parental complicity not only undermines ethical standards but also “seamlessly integrates children into the world of criminality,” perpetuating a cycle of dishonesty and underdevelopment.
“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,” he said.
The JAMB boss assured that the exam body was committed to providing an educational assessment result that can always be trust because of its validity and standards.
Oloyede, however, noted that exam malpractice in UTME was declining as only 140 cases were recorded this year but registration infractions or technologically-induced fraud was the big problem as it is still new to the system.
He warned that technologically-induced examination malpractice poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s education system, national integrity, and long-term development.
He announced that JAMB has put in place a three-pronged strategy to combat exam malpractice namely stringent Sanctions: Enforcing clear, consistent, and uncompromising penalties against offenders, irrespective of status.
He said the board was also using investment in integrity as a strategy by deploying technology and robust processes to safeguard the assessment system and make malpractice increasingly difficult.
The third tool employed by the board is moral education, which is encouraging parents and schools to instill values of honesty and character, reminding candidates that “character is more important than grades.”
On the controversy over underage candidates, Oloyede reaffirmed that those below 16 years are not eligible for admission into tertiary institutions, except in rare cases of exceptional brilliance identified through JAMB’s approved mechanism.
He dismissed calls for blanket waivers, saying: “If anyone wants the law changed, they should go to the National Assembly. Education is not guesswork.”
The Registrar commended the independent committee for its diligence and professionalism, assuring that JAMB would adopt its evidence-based recommendations as far as the law permits.
