A special committee established by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has called for stringent measures, including a three-year ban and criminal prosecution, for individuals caught cheating in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and their accomplices.
The Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI), inaugurated in August 2025, presented its findings to JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede on September 8th. The committee's report outlines a comprehensive strategy to tackle sophisticated, technology-driven malpractice uncovered during the 2025 UTME.
Committee Chairman Dr. Jake Epelle revealed the investigation exposed a vast fraud network, documenting thousands of cases involving advanced cheating methods such as "finger blending," AI-assisted image manipulation, and fraudulent disability declarations.
The SCEI's key recommendations include:
· Stronger Penalties: A mandatory 3-year exam ban for offenders and the cancellation of fraudulently obtained scores.
· Legal Action: Prosecution of candidates and their collaborators, which include parents, tutorial centers, and some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers.
· Legal Reforms: Amending existing laws to recognize and punish digital and biometric fraud.
· Advanced Technology: Deploying AI-powered biometric verification and a real-time monitoring center to detect anomalies.
· National Registry: Strengthening a central sanctions database to ensure offenders face lasting consequences with future employers and institutions.
· Cultural Change: Launching a national campaign to promote academic integrity and introducing ethics education in schools.
Dr. Epelle warned that examination malpractice has become dangerously normalized in Nigeria and poses a severe threat to the nation's merit-based system and human capital development. He emphasized that the proposed reforms are essential to restore public trust and ensure that success is determined by merit, not fraud.
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