JAMB: Parents Behind 80% of UTME Exam Infractions

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has once again expressed concerns regarding the increasing instances of examination malpractice, with its Special Committee on Examination Infractions attributing the majority of fraudulent activities in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination to parents.

The committee’s chairman, Jake Epelle, boldly stated that parents account for as much as 80 percent of the infractions observed during the exam.

He shared this information while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.

This disclosure follows the committee’s earlier briefing with JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

He remarked, “Eighty percent of these infractions are perpetrated by parents who wish to provide their children with unearned marks.”

The UTME, which serves as the entry point for admissions into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria, has long struggled with malpractice issues despite JAMB’s implementation of computer-based test technology.

In previous years, the board has made significant investments in advanced security systems to combat impersonation, forged credentials, and other cheating methods.

However, according to Epelle, the 2025 examination has revealed new types of fraud facilitated by artificial intelligence and organized crime groups.

He indicated that the committee recorded 4,251 incidents of “finger blending”—a form of biometric manipulation—along with 190 instances of AI-assisted impersonation through image morphing.

Furthermore, 1,878 fraudulent disability claims, multiple registrations of National Identification Numbers, forged credentials, and instances of collusion between candidates and syndicates were identified during the examination period.

The chair of the JAMB committee cautioned that the increase in technology-driven malpractice complicates the effort to maintain the integrity of national examinations.

“This is the era of AI, and what is happening is that while JAMB implements cutting-edge technology, individuals are working behind the scenes, and these are savvy young Nigerians.

“Although the system is strong, there exists a persistent conspiracy to undermine its effectiveness,” he remarked.

He also contended that Nigeria should not solely depend on foreign solutions to protect its examinations. Instead, he advocated for innovations that can be adapted locally.

“Every technology comes with its own flaws, which is why I support the idea of adaptive technology. We require a solution that is tailored to our environment and addresses the challenges we face,” he concluded.

$JAMB: Parents Behind 80% of UTME Exam Infractions$