The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it has withheld the results of 96 candidates over various examination infractions in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), a decline from the 123 recorded in 2024.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made this known during a press briefing on Friday in Bwari, where he officially released the 2025 UTME results.
According to the correspondent, 2,030,862 candidates registered for the 2025 UTME across 882 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide. Of this number, 1,957,000 were verified to have sat for the examination, while 71,705 were absent.
Oloyede disclosed that results for 1,911,551 candidates had been released, while 39,834 results were still under review, with 1,426 undergoing active investigation. He added that 2,157 candidates faced fingerprint-related issues believed to be tied to registration infractions.
He identified several types of malpractice observed during the exercise, including identity and biometric fraud, impersonation during registration, double registration, and candidate substitution. Some infractions, he said, were committed in collusion with CBT centres.
“In some cases, entire syndicates colluded with CBT centres, using multiple fingerprints to register candidates. As a result, 3,656 candidates with extraneous fingerprints have had their results withheld,” he said.
Among the implicated CBT centres were Tigh Technologies Limited, Sascon International School (Maitama, Abuja), Wudil Computer Information Technology (Kano), and Penta M & Centre 2 (Tambuwal, Sokoto State).
Oloyede also revealed that 244 candidates were caught subscribing to “WhatsApp runs” groups that promised leaked exam questions. He said 80 suspects were currently being interrogated by security agencies, with many facing prosecution.
The registrar raised further concerns about impersonation linked to fingerprint discrepancies, adding that JAMB would continue to investigate these cases and penalise those involved.
On underage candidates, he said only 467 of the 41,027 registered candidates under age 16 met the criteria for exceptional academic performance. However, one of them was disqualified for malpractice.
Oloyede also reported that 501 candidates living with disabilities were examined across 11 centres under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), with one case of impersonation recorded.
As part of efforts to maintain standards, JAMB has delisted and blacklisted four CBT centres for technical deficiencies. These are: Adventure Associate (Kano), Saadatu Rimi College of Education (Zaria), Soronara Ventures Nigeria Ltd (Imo State), and HSS Amazing, Holy Saviour School (Ogun State).
He assured that details of other blacklisted centres involved in fraudulent practices would soon be made public.
Despite the infractions, Oloyede described the 2025 UTME as one of the most successful in recent years, reaffirming the Board’s zero-tolerance stance on malpractice and commitment to continuous innovation in examination integrity.
(NAN)