By Deborah Nnamdi
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has received a damning report from its Special Committee on Examination Infractions, exposing how technology-driven malpractice is undermining Nigeria’s admission process.
Presenting the findings in Abuja, Committee Chairman Jake Epelle revealed that investigators uncovered 4,251 cases of “finger blending”—a biometric fraud technique where candidates manipulate fingerprint recognition systems—alongside 192 instances of AI-powered impersonation through image morphing during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
“What we discovered shocked us deeply. Examination malpractice has evolved into a highly organised, technology-driven, and culturally normalised enterprise. We documented 4,251 cases of finger blending, 190 cases of AI-assisted image morphing, 1,878 false declarations of albinism, and several cases of credential forgery, multiple NIN registrations, and solicitation schemes,” Epelle said.
Responding to the revelations, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, stressed that while the infractions were alarming, actual malpractice during the UTME was still relatively limited.
“When it comes to the real exam malpractice that we know, this year alone the Board recorded about 140 of them, which is still relatively low,” he noted.
The report—submitted within its three-week deadline—is expected to guide new policies on biometric security, AI misuse detection, and tougher sanctions for offenders. JAMB has pledged to review and adopt the recommendations in its examination processes.
The 23-member Special Committee, inaugurated on August 18, was mandated to investigate rising cases of sophisticated malpractice among 6,458 candidates whose results remain withheld, recommend sanctions, and design preventive frameworks.
Committee members include: Prof. Ibe Ifeakandu (Legal Expert) – Deputy Chairperson, Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello (JEOG Representative), Prof. Samuel G. Odewumi (JEOG Representative),
Prof. Chinedum Uzoma Nwajiuba (Former Vice-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme University, Ebonyi State).
Others are Prof. Tanko Ishaya (Vice-Chancellor, University of Jos; Cybersecurity Expert), CP (Retd) Fatai Owoseni – High-Level Security Advisory Group Representative, Mr. James Alkali Leda – DSS Representative, and
CSP Yakubu Rabiu – Nigerian Police Force Representative
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has approved a three-year ban for students found guilty of examination malpractice across all national external examinations, including JAMB, WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB.
The sanction, announced by Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, will be enforced through students’ National Identification Number (NIN) to prevent offenders from evading penalties. Schools and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres aiding malpractice or running as “miracle centres” also face long-term derecognition.
