The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has sounded the alarm over a disturbing rise in examination malpractice during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with Anambra and Lagos States topping the chart for the most arrests.
At a press briefing held in Abuja on Friday, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that at least 80 individuals are currently under investigation for offenses ranging from impersonation and biometric fraud to illegal possession of prohibited devices during the nationwide exams.
According to Prof. Oloyede, this year’s exam cycle witnessed an escalation in sophisticated cheating tactics. These included biometric manipulation involving combined fingerprints of both candidates and hired impersonators, mismatched identity photos, and double registrations aimed at candidate substitution.
"These forms of malpractice have grown more complex and require swift collaboration between Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, parents, and law enforcement agencies," the Registrar stated.
Anambra led the list with 14 suspects — 13 involved in impersonation and one caught with an unrelated photo ID. Lagos came next with nine arrests linked to spying, impersonation, and illegal possession of mobile phones inside exam halls.
Other states with multiple cases include Delta (
, Kano (7), Kaduna and Rivers (6 each), and Ebonyi and Enugu (5 each), mostly for impersonation and the use of unauthorized devices such as calculators and phones.In one bizarre case, JAMB reported that a visually impaired candidate contracted another blind undergraduate to sit the exam on his behalf.
The revelations come on the heels of the 2025 UTME results, which showed a disappointing performance across the board. Over 1.5 million out of 1.9 million candidates scored below 200 marks out of a total of 400.
JAMB emphasized the need for greater vigilance and a united front against academic dishonesty, which it described as a growing threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.
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