The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has confirmed the arrest of 77 individuals this year as it strengthens verification processes for Direct Entry admissions. Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede revealed that the board now collaborates with awarding institutions globally to verify credentials, a strategy that has exposed fraudulent claims from foreign universities.
Professor Oloyede disclosed these measures during an interview on Good Morning Nigeria, a Nigerian Television Authority programme. He noted that while domestic programmes such as JUPEB and IJMB are now secure at the point of entry, degrees require further scrutiny to prevent forgeries.
“Since 2023, annually, the rates have gone down. Many people are no longer applying for direct entry because we are supervising thoroughly, and every year, this year, we have arrested, we have caught 77, but we did more prevention,” the registrar stated.
He explained that the board has engaged university experts to assist in this rigorous screening to avoid being distracted from its primary duties. “JUPEB, IJMB and all the rest we check at the point of entry, and we made it impossible for them to forge, but there are still degrees,” he added.
Regarding foreign qualifications, the board identified discrepancies where institutions disowned certificates presented by candidates. “This year, we had about four or five cases where foreign institutions reported that the degree presented was not theirs,” Professor Oloyede noted.
Shifting the focus to the main UTME exercise, the registrar encouraged candidates to trust the Central Admission Processing System. Since its introduction in 2017, the system has recorded no failures, ensuring a transparent admission process.
“If you find anybody, if you are sure of yourself, you have a score, and this is the UTME score of my child, and you know that you ought to be admitted and you are not admitted, protest to us because CAPS has made everything easy,” he urged.
He addressed the issue of parents resorting to bribery, noting that many believe illegal methods are the only option. “People are so daring, and the parents, because they have climbed the ladder to illegality, they believe there is no other way,” the registrar observed.
He shared a personal anecdote to illustrate that merit prevails without interference. “I’ve seen many people who sent their children’s scores to me and asked what they could do. I tell them I will do nothing, and the candidate is admitted, and they thank me. I did nothing,” he concluded in a video posted by NTA on Tuesday.
Last Updated on April 7, 2026 by Ola Funmilayo
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