Anambra, Lagos Lead In UTME Malpractice Arrests
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that Anambra and Lagos states account for the highest number of suspects currently under police investigation for involvement in malpractice during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Speaking at a press briefing at JAMB headquarters in Abuja on Friday, the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that 80 suspects across various states are being interrogated, with Anambra topping the chart with 14 arrests, followed by Lagos with nine.
According to JAMB, Anambra’s cases involve 13 incidents of impersonation and one case of mismatched photographs, while Lagos suspects were apprehended for impersonation, spying, and illegal possession of mobile phones during the exam.
Other states with notable arrests include Delta (8 suspects for impersonation), Kano (7 for impersonation and phone possession), Kaduna (6 for impersonation and phone possession), and Rivers (6 for impersonation and possession of phones and calculators). Ebonyi and Enugu states each recorded five suspects for impersonation.
Prof. Oloyede highlighted the emergence of new fraud techniques during both the registration and examination phases of the UTME.
These include biometric manipulation, use of combined thumbprints between candidates and impersonators, double registration, and attempts to substitute oneself with an impersonator, all reportedly done in collusion with some CBT (Computer-Based Test) centres.
In a particularly unusual case, the registrar disclosed that a blind candidate hired another blind individual, who is an undergraduate, to impersonate him and sit the exam on his behalf.
Meanwhile, the 2025 UTME results were officially released on Friday, with statistics showing that over 1.5 million of the 1.9 million candidates scored below 200 out of the total 400 marks.
The UTME tests candidates in four subjects: Use of English (compulsory) and three others related to their proposed field of study.
