The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has identified Anambra and Lagos as the states with the highest number of malpractice incidents in the just-concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
During a press briefing over the weekend, JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that a total of 80 suspects had been apprehended for various examination-related offences across several states. Anambra topped the list with 14 arrests, while Lagos followed with nine.
Prof. Oloyede explained that the offences committed ranged from impersonation and unauthorized use of devices to biometric fraud and collusion with some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre officials. “In Anambra alone, we recorded 13 cases of impersonation and one incident involving mismatched photographs,” he noted.
In Lagos, the suspects were reportedly caught engaging in impersonation, spying, and bringing mobile phones into the examination venues — an act JAMB has consistently warned against. Other states such as Delta, Kano, Kaduna, and Rivers also featured on the malpractice list. Delta recorded eight cases, while Kano and Kaduna had seven and six cases respectively.
Speaking further, Oloyede expressed concern over the increasing sophistication of malpractice tactics this year. “We encountered biometric manipulation, the use of combined thumbprints between candidates and their impersonators, and cases of double registration,” he disclosed.
He added that these offences were often carried out in collaboration with certain CBT centre operators, making it a more organized scheme than isolated incidents. One particularly unusual case involved a blind candidate who allegedly hired another visually impaired undergraduate to sit for the examination on his behalf — a situation JAMB described as both desperate and disappointing.
JAMB has vowed to ensure all suspects face appropriate legal action. Oloyede reassured Nigerians of the board’s commitment to preserving the integrity of the UTME, adding that efforts are ongoing to tighten security around future examinations and close existing loopholes.
This year’s revelations have sparked fresh concerns about examination integrity in certain parts of the country, prompting education stakeholders to call for stricter supervision and advanced technological solutions to curb malpractice in future assessments.
