2026 UTME: JAMB to dismiss three staff over portal fraud

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered an alleged internal compromise within its ranks, announcing plans to dismiss three staff members accused of selling unauthorised access to the Board’s examination portal ahead of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The sweeping action forms part of a broader nationwide offensive against examination malpractice, as the Board moves to safeguard the credibility of its processes.

Two additional officials in Kaduna State and Katsina State are currently under investigation, while candidates and parents linked to the scheme may also face stiff sanctions.

Addressing journalists on Saturday, JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, described the development as a serious assault on merit and fairness in Nigeria’s education system.

He revealed that investigations exposed organised criminal syndicates, some deploying artificial intelligence tools to impersonate JAMB officials and swindle desperate candidates.

“This briefing addresses a grave development that strikes at the heart of fairness, merit and integrity,” Oloyede said.

“We have invested heavily to protect honest candidates, but criminal networks and willing collaborators continue to test the system.”

According to the Board, over 100 candidates allegedly paid for illegal assistance to manipulate their UTME prospects. Their registrations now face cancellation, pending approval by the Minister of Education. Oloyede stressed that neither candidates nor parents involved in such arrangements should consider themselves victims.

Paying for examination fraud is a crime. It does not secure a child’s future; it destroys it,” he warned.

JAMB also raised concerns over the growing number of underage candidates, revealing that about 38,000 registrants this year fall below the approved admission age. The Board noted that many underage applicants are increasingly being exploited or drawn into malpractice networks.

While dismissing claims of increased registration fees, JAMB confirmed that several Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and tutorial operators implicated in fraudulent activities have been suspended or arrested.

According to the Registrar, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force are supporting ongoing investigations.

Oloyede maintained that the Board possesses the technical and institutional capacity to curb examination malpractice but lamented that enforcement actions often attract public criticism.

Our only challenge is public opinion. When we act, some label us draconian,” he said.

JAMB insisted that its integrity will be defended, warning that anyone — staff, candidate, parent, or proprietor — found undermining the system will face the full weight of the law.

culled from vanguard