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Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board releases mop-up exam results for over 11,000 candidates.
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Crackdown exposes 17,417 students linked to a syndicate forging admission letters for tertiary institutions.
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3,300 students risk prosecution as Board vows to uphold integrity of Nigeria’s admission system.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a sprawling syndicate that issued thousands of fake admission letters to desperate candidates seeking entry into Nigerian universities and polytechnics.
The revelation comes as the Board announced the release of results for 11,161 candidates who sat for its mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on June 28.
This was contained in a statement signed by JAMB’s Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin, and made available on Sunday.
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According to Benjamin, the mop-up exam results can be checked by sending “UTMERESULT” (as one word) to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number used for registration.
“The Board remains committed to upholding the integrity of the admission process and ensuring that only duly qualified candidates gain access to tertiary education in Nigeria,” the statement read.
The mop-up exercise was overshadowed by JAMB’s sweeping crackdown on admission racketeering. Working with the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), the Board arrested five ringleaders now facing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the case titled Inspector General of Police vs Effa Leonard and Four Others.
The syndicate’s activities implicated 17,417 candidates nationwide:
6,903 candidates cleared after resolving minor discrepancies.
10,514 candidates referred to police investigation offices for further vetting.
5,669 candidates confirmed to have purchased outright fake admission letters.
4,832 candidates caught attempting to exploit ministerial waivers meant for 2017–2020 through fraudulent means.
The affected candidates span several institutions including Bayero University Kano, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology Akure, Yaba College of Technology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, and the University of Ilorin.
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JAMB warned that 3,300 candidates remain under active investigation and could face severe penalties, including prosecution under the Examination Malpractices Act.
The Board also warned parents and guardians that they could be held liable for aiding minors in perpetrating fraud.
