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JAMB Panel Warns: Exam Malpractice Now the Norm

The Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI), established by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has indicated that 80 percent of infractions are attributed to candidates’ parents.

During an appearance on Channels Television last night, the committee’s chairman, Dr. Jake Epelle, made this remark.

The JAMB inaugurated the committee on August 18, 2025, assigning it the task of investigating the increase in examination infractions, evaluating JAMB’s systems, and suggesting reforms.

The panel, which convened for three weeks, was formed in response to widespread concerns following technical issues that affected the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

“Parents seeking to inflate the scores of their children that they do not deserve are responsible for eighty percent of infractions,” the committee’s chairman mentioned yesterday.

He further stated that tutorial centers, educational institutions, and some religious organizations were involved in the fraud that has deeply permeated Nigeria’s examination system.

According to him, what initially appeared to be a minor task transformed when he recognized the caliber of members chosen for the committee.

“I observed four vice chancellors, numerous professors, representatives from the NSA, the DSS, the Nigeria police, and even former police commissioners. These were distinguished individuals selected to lead,” he commented.

Epelle expressed that he viewed it as a profound responsibility and opted to refrain from media interactions during the investigation.

He elaborated that the panel’s findings revealed “4,251 instances of fingerprint manipulation and 192 cases of AI-assisted impersonation in just one UTME cycle.”

Additionally, he remarked: “We recorded 1,878 false claims of albinism, with photographs altered to impersonate other candidates.

“We even encountered a medical student who annually sits for JAMB not for his own benefit but for paying clients. This indicates a network of criminal activity.”

However, he emphasized that despite these infractions, JAMB’s system remains one of the most sophisticated in the nation.

“The system is robust, but there exists a persistent effort to undermine it. Young individuals with access to technology are manipulating the processes,” he noted.

Epelle commended JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, for what he referred to as exceptional transparency.

“Professor Oloyede was entirely open throughout the investigation period. He intentionally avoided taking my calls to prevent any interference. The very first time he reviewed the report was this morning when I submitted it to him,” he stated.

He mentioned that Oloyede became emotional upon learning that some JAMB personnel were involved in the glitches that impacted students.

“It was not intentional fraud; it was carelessness on their part. Nevertheless, he would not tolerate it,” he added.

He indicated that many of those staff members were already facing disciplinary actions, underscoring that Oloyede displayed leadership by publicly apologizing for the mistakes. “Public officials rarely apologize in Nigeria. His willingness to say sorry indicates complete transparency,” he remarked.

“I informed the police investigators that I wanted to see some of these offenders imprisoned. This is not a situation where individuals are investigated and escape consequences. Numerous CBT centers will be shut down, their equipment confiscated, and their owners prosecuted.”

“The time has arrived to expose and hold accountable, as these same parents publicly criticize JAMB while secretly funding malpractice. When questioned, they begin to plead.”

Regarding the way forward, he stated: “Every technology has its flaws, especially in our setting. I am visually impaired, and I require technology that enables me to read without straining my eyes. We need adaptive technology that aligns with our realities.

“As JAMB introduces new technology, individuals with questionable intentions are attempting to exploit it for personal gain. We are in an era of AI. AI has its advantages, but it also brings along drawbacks.”

Epelle mentioned that his committee’s primary recommendations concentrated on detection, deterrence, prevention, and reform.

“We suggested implementing AI-driven biometrics, nullifying results for fraudulent candidates, and enhancing JAMB’s mobile-first self-service platform. Legal reforms are necessary to update the JAMB Act and the Examination Malpractice Act to acknowledge biometrics and digital fraud, and to establish a dedicated legal unit within JAMB,” he expressed.

He also called for a cultural shift. “It is essential to initiate an ‘Integrity First’ campaign. We must convey a clear message that malpractice will not be accepted,” he added.

He urged traditional institutions to take a stand against malpractice within families.

“They are capable of summoning parents to their palaces for questioning and holding them accountable. Anyone found guilty should face legal consequences,” he insisted.

“The essence of education is at risk, and we require everyone—government, parents, teachers, and communities—to come together to rescue it,” Epelle stated.

Earlier, while presenting the committee’s report to the JAMB registrar in Abuja yesterday, Epelle revealed that the committee identified 4,251 instances of “finger blending” and 190 cases of AI-facilitated impersonation through image morphing during investigations into the 2025 UTME.

Describing the task as “a moral duty, a national service, and a commitment to the principles of meritocracy in Nigeria,” Epelle noted that the committee’s findings went beyond mere technical irregularities, showing that malpractice had become highly organized, technology-driven, and alarmingly normalized.

Other identified violations included 1,878 false disability claims, forged credentials, multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and collusion between candidates and syndicates.

Epelle observed that parents, tutorial centers, schools, and even some CBT operators were complicit, while ineffective legal frameworks hindered enforcement efforts.

To restore credibility, the committee advocated a comprehensive approach.

They recommended the use of AI-based biometric anomaly detection tools, real-time monitoring, and the establishment of a central Examination Security Operations Centre, as well as the annulment of fraudulent results, sanctions varying from one to three years of bans, prosecution of offenders, and the creation of a Central Sanctions Registry for institutions and employers, alongside measures such as digitizing correction procedures, enhancing disability verification, reinforcing mobile-first platforms, and prohibiting bulk school-led registrations.

The panel also called for legal reforms, including updates to the JAMB Act and the Examination Malpractice Act to address biometric and digital fraud and the formation of a Legal Unit within JAMB.

On values, it recommended a cultural shift through a nationwide Integrity First campaign, embedding ethics in educational curricula, and holding parents accountable for facilitating malpractice.

For offenders under 18, the committee suggested rehabilitative measures under the Child Rights Act, including counseling and supervised reintegration, instead of punitive actions.

Epelle cautioned that without prompt reforms, the integrity of Nigeria’s education system could deteriorate further.

“If not addressed, examination malpractice will persist in undermining merit, eroding public trust, and destroying the very foundation of Nigeria’s educational and human capital development,” he warned.

Previous statements from JAMB

In March 2018, JAMB Registrar Oloyede criticized parents who facilitated impersonation, including a mother who claimed to be a prophet directing her child to take an exam on behalf of his brother.

“The biggest issue we face is with the parents; I don’t have issues with the candidates. However, the parents have lost control. They undermine the process, as while the students are taking the exams, you see some parents looking for any way to assist their children in passing,” Prof. Oloyede stated during a meeting with the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption in Abuja.

Oloyede recalled that during the 2018 UTME, some parents of candidates caught in malpractice did not fulfill their proper responsibilities as parents.

“Some parents go to the extent of transferring large amounts to fraudulent online accounts to enhance their children’s results,” he noted.

Additionally, during the 2021 UTME registration, Oloyede mentioned that some parents bribed security personnel to allow impostors to enter after biometric verification, indicating that fraud involved not just candidates but often parental collaboration.

While overseeing the 2021 UTME registration in Lagos on Wednesday, Oloyede remarked that many parents did not permit their children to take the exam based on their own capabilities.

“Parents are challenging to manage regarding rule enforcement. We have observed parents hiring individuals to take exams on behalf of their children. To catch wrongdoers, we may need to act as if we are engaging in wrongdoing as well.

“We established rogue centers where we instructed them to pay N15,000 if they wished to have their scores improved. Once you provide us with your number, we will accept your N15,000 and disqualify you,” he explained.

Ahead of the 2024 examination, JAMB instructed security personnel to apprehend parents found near CBT centers, emphasizing that the presence of some parents contributed to violations.

JAMB also stated that candidates whose parents ignored this directive would be disqualified from participating in the exam. “This action is essential as it has been seen over time that many of these intrusive parents facilitate examination violations, while others have previously disrupted the Board’s examinations,” JAMB remarked in an April 2024 statement.

Education experts propose solutions

In a telephone conversation with Daily Trust yesterday, Dr. Aminu Makama Ilelah from the Department of Education, Faculty of Technology Education, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi, emphasized that examination malpractice is a critical and delicate issue, particularly when it is supported by parents, “because it undermines not only the integrity of the educational system but also the future of the children themselves.”

He stated, “Parents should exemplify integrity, but when they do otherwise, they teach their children that dishonesty is a socially acceptable norm. Children learn from the behavior of their parents or what they consistently observe.”