The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has accused parents of normalising dishonesty and undermining their children’s futures by paying criminal syndicates to secure fraudulent advantages in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Is haq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar, delivered the sharp rebuke on Saturday in Abuja while presenting findings from an investigation into an artificial intelligence driven fraud network targeting candidates preparing for the 2026 UTME.
“Parents must understand that paying for fraud does not secure a child’s future. It destroys it. You are teaching them that cheating is a strategy, that deception is acceptable, and that merit is optional,” Mr. Oloyede stated.
The investigation uncovered criminal syndicates deploying AI tools to impersonate JAMB officials and defraud candidates. Over 100 students have been linked to the scheme, with 83 confirmed to have made payments. The fraud network spans 25 states, and three school proprietors are currently in custody for facilitating examination malpractice.
Mr. Oloyede made it clear that neither the students nor their parents could be considered innocent. “What is important for us to emphasise here is that the students themselves and their parents are willing collaborators and cannot be regarded as innocent,” he said.
He highlighted a troubling connection between the fraud scheme and underage candidates, revealing that approximately 38,000 underage students have registered for the 2026 UTME. According to him, many of those who patronised the syndicates are underage children pushed by parents beyond their academic capacity.
The board has submitted recommendations to the Minister of Education for the cancellation of registrations linked to the fraud. He issued a firm warning to anyone involved in or considering similar schemes. “Let it be clearly understood by all Nigerians that paying for examination fraud is a crime. Receiving illegal assistance is a punishable offence. Being a willing member of a WhatsApp group where these fake services are offered will no longer be condoned. Ignorance will not be accepted as a defence,” he declared.
Internal complicity has also been exposed. Three top JAMB officials have been found to have collaborated in sabotaging the system and have been recommended for dismissal. Two other officials and a staff member of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, are currently facing criminal prosecution for involvement in activities that undermine the examination body’s integrity.
JAMB is working with security agencies to dismantle the fraud networks. Mr. Oloyede thanked the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Directorate of State Services, the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for their support in the ongoing investigations.
“As for capacity, we have the capacity to deal with all these issues. If we did not have the capacity, we would not be able to stay ahead of them. As they are planning, we are planning,” he said, adding that JAMB has strengthened its technical systems, including tools to detect prohibited devices during examinations.
JAMB’s struggle with organised fraud is not new. The board transitioned from paper based tests to Computer Based Testing in 2013 to curb malpractice, including question leaks and impersonation. Despite these reforms, the board withheld over 39,800 results in the 2025 UTME cycle due to suspected irregularities, including biometric fraud and impersonation.
Last Updated on March 2, 2026 by Ola Funmilayo
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