Emmanuel Praise Akataka, a 26 year old fraud syndicate member from Delta State, has been rearrested by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board after resuming fraudulent activities targeting UTME candidates he had previously deceived.
The suspect, who had earlier been granted bail following his first arrest for criminal conspiracy, impersonation, identity theft, and online fraud, returned to contact the same 94 candidates he had initially duped, demanding ₦70,000 from each under false promises.
Zainab Hamza, JAMB’s Director of Special Duties, addressed reporters at the board’s Bwari headquarters in Abuja on Thursday on behalf of the Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, revealing that Akataka operated under different aliases, including “Official Frederick” and “Sir Frederick”, to carry out his schemes.
The suspect initially created a WhatsApp platform advertising bogus services such as score inflation, convincing candidates to pay for illegal and non existent score enhancement services.
Following his first arrest, the affected candidates appeared before a special committee to establish their innocence, leading to the cancellation of their registrations with ministerial approval.
However, after his release on bail, Akataka reestablished contact with the same victims, falsely claiming he could prevent the cancellation of their registrations through alleged connections with the board.
Investigations revealed that the fraudster used multiple bank accounts to receive payments, initially using his father’s account registered in the name of Vincent Okpowho Akataka before opening another account with SmartCash under the name Zainab Rafiu, whom he falsely presented as a JAMB director.
During interrogation, Akataka blamed his actions on poverty and family pressures, including his mother’s ill health and his father’s death in 2025, admitting to making over ₦1.5 million from the scheme.
“I am ashamed of everything I did. All I am asking for is one last chance. I will never go back to this act again,” the suspect pleaded during the interview.
However, Professor Oloyede insisted that Akataka made more than ₦8 million by defrauding UTME candidates under the guise of inflating their scores in this year’s exercise.
JAMB emphasised that no individual or group can influence UTME results, provide special assistance, or manipulate candidate registration under any circumstances, warning that candidates who engage with such syndicates risk financial loss and severe legal consequences.
The board has secured multiple convictions recently, including a three year jail sentence for Ibrahim Abdulaziz for impersonation during the 2025 UTME.
Last Updated on March 27, 2026 by Ola Funmilayo
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