ABUJA, Nigeria — More than 100 students are facing a ban from sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UMTE, as the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, investigates alleged result forgery and examination malpractice in the 2023 exam cycle.
The registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, revealed this on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, during an investigative hearing with the House of Representatives ad hoc committee, led by Hon. Sada Soli, a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, representing Katsina State.
Among the accused is Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, who allegedly altered her exam score from 249 to 362.
She has since apologized to Prof. Oloyede and requested that her three-year ban be reconsidered.
“The forgery was planned from the beginning but it failed,” Oloyede told the committee, indicating that the examination center where Mmesoma registered had been suspended due to suspicions of complicity.
He explained that a handwriting mismatch raised suspicions about Mmesoma’s result.
Oloyede further disclosed that five candidates are currently standing trial at the High Court in Akure, where they have been remanded in custody.
The registrar also noted that the mechanisms put in place since 2020 have made it nearly impossible for anyone to forge JAMB results.
In her testimony, Mmesoma admitted to forging her result, noting that she obtained the score from a different portal and not directly from JAMB.
“This is the first time in my academic history that I am involved in any type of scandal. It is not in my character and I wholeheartedly plead for mercy,” she stated.
Chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon. Sada Soli, underscored the importance of the investigation, stating it was essential to prevent future occurrences of such fraudulent activities.
The incident marks a significant setback for Nigeria’s education sector, further emphasizing the urgent need for tighter security in the examination process.
The investigation continues as the committee aims to unveil the full scope of the alleged fraud.
