The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has received a report from its Special Committee on Examination Infractions, exposing how technology-driven malpractice is undermining Nigeria’s admission process.
Presenting the findings in Abuja, Chairman of the Committee, Jake Epelle, disclosed that investigators uncovered 4,251 cases of finger blending, a biometric fraud technique where candidates manipulate the fingerprint recognition system, and 192 instances of AI-assisted impersonation through image morphing during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
“What we discovered shocked us deeply. Examination malpractices have evolved into a highly organised, technologically driven, and culturally normalized enterprise.
“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 registration and solicitation schemes,” Epelle said.
Responding to the findings, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, clarified that while the report detailed widespread infractions, actual examination malpractice during the conduct of the UTME remained relatively low.
“When it comes to the real exam malpractice that we know, this year alone the Board recorded about 140 of them, which is still relatively low,” he said.
The report, submitted within the three-week deadline, is expected to guide new policies around biometric security, AI misuse detection, and stricter penalties for offenders. JAMB has promised to review the recommendations and incorporate them into its examination processes
What you should know
In response to rising cases of technology-driven malpractice, JAMB formed a 23-member Special Committee on Examination Infractions, tasked with tackling a wave of sophisticated, tech-enabled cheating uncovered during the 2025 UTME
The committee was inaugurated on August 18, with the urgent mandate to probe rising infractions among the 6,458 suspected candidates whose results remain withheld, recommending sanctions, and proposing proactive frameworks to prevent future breaches
Committee membership includes: Prof. Ibe Ifeakandu (Legal Expert) — Deputy Chairperson; Prof Muhammad Yahuza Bello (JEOG Representative); Prof Samuel G. Odewumi (JEOG Representative); Prof Chinedum Uzoma Nwaj iuba (Former Vice-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme University, Ebonyi State); Prof Tanko Ishaya (Vice-Chancelor, University of Jos; Cybersecurity Expert); CP (Retd) Fatai Owoseni — Representative of the High-Level Security Advisory Group; Mr James Alkali Leda — Representative of the Department of State Services ( DSS); CSP Yakubu Rabiu — Representative of the Nigerian Police Force amongst others.
The Federal Government approved a three-year ban for any student caught engaging in examination malpractice. The directive, issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, applies across all national external examinations, including JAMB, WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB.
Enforcement will rely on students’ National Identification Number (NIN), making it difficult for offenders to evade sanctions. Schools and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres found aiding malpractice or operating as miracle centres risk being derecognised for several years.
My Jamb result is still under investigation and I wasn’t involved in any form of malpractice, although we had technical glitches during the exam, where systems went on and off, which the center said was resolved and exams continued
Pls, when do we expect information on the outcome of the investigation?