The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has received a disturbing report from its Special Committee on Examination Infractions, exposing how sophisticated technology is increasingly being used to undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s university entrance examinations.
The committee, which began its assignment on August 18, was set up to investigate the growing wave of malpractice in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and to recommend ways of safeguarding the process. At the presentation of its findings in Abuja, the chairman, Jake Epelle, revealed that the team identified 4,251 cases of fingerprint manipulation, a method popularly referred to as “finger blending,” and 192 cases of artificial intelligence impersonation where images were digitally altered to beat biometric checks.
The investigators also uncovered 1,878 instances of fraudulent disability claims, falsified certificates, and multiple registrations using different national identification numbers. According to the report, the fraudulent network involves not only candidates but also parents, tutorial centres, schools, and even some computer-based test operators who collaborate with examination syndicates to facilitate cheating.
The committee described the malpractice as highly organised, technology-driven, and alarmingly normalised, warning that weak enforcement mechanisms continue to encourage the trend. It emphasised that the threat is not just to the examination body but to the wider education system, as compromised admission processes weaken standards and reduce public confidence.
Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of JAMB, received the report with concern, as the details confirmed long-standing fears that examination malpractice has evolved from crude impersonation into complex schemes powered by artificial intelligence and biometric fraud.
To address the challenge, the panel recommended a series of reforms that include the deployment of AI-powered biometric anomaly detection tools, real-time monitoring of examination centres, and the establishment of a centralised Examination Security Operations Centre that can coordinate surveillance and response across the country.
The findings have reignited debate about accountability in Nigeria’s education sector. Experts argue that unless government enacts tougher legal penalties, strengthens monitoring systems, and addresses the role of complicit institutions, the examination fraud industry will continue to thrive.
For many observers, the revelations confirm the scale of the crisis facing JAMB and highlight the urgent need for systemic reform if the board is to restore integrity to university admissions.