JAMB panel uncovers 4,251 circumstances of fingerprint fraud, 192 AI-driven impersonation in 2025 UTME 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has obtained a report from its Particular Committee on Examination Infractions, exposing how technology-driven malpractice is undermining Nigeria’s admission course of.

Presenting the findings in Abuja, Chairman of the Committee, Jake Epelle, disclosed that investigators uncovered 4,251 circumstances of finger mixing, a biometric fraud method the place candidates manipulate the fingerprint recognition system, and 192 situations of AI-assisted impersonation via picture morphing in the course of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

“What we found shocked us deeply. Examination malpractices have developed right into a extremely organised, technologically pushed, and culturally normalized enterprise.  

“We documented 4,251 circumstances of finger mixing, 190 circumstances of AI-assisted picture morphing, 1,878 false declarations of albinism, and quite a few circumstances of credential forgery, a number of NIN registration and solicitation schemes,” Epelle stated.

Responding to the findings, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, clarified that whereas the report detailed widespread infractions, precise examination malpractice in the course of the conduct of the UTME remained comparatively low.

“In the case of the actual examination malpractice that we all know, this yr alone the Board recorded about 140 of them, which remains to be comparatively low,” he stated.

The report, submitted inside the three-week deadline, is anticipated to information new insurance policies round biometric safety, AI misuse detection, and stricter penalties for offenders. JAMB has promised to evaluate the suggestions and incorporate them into its examination processes

What you must know 

In response to rising circumstances of technology-driven malpractice, JAMB fashioned a 23-member Particular Committee on Examination Infractions, tasked with tackling a wave of subtle, tech-enabled dishonest uncovered in the course of the 2025 UTME

The committee was inaugurated on August 18, with the pressing mandate to probe rising infractions among the many 6,458 suspected candidates whose outcomes stay withheld, recommending sanctions, and proposing proactive frameworks to forestall future breaches

Committee membership contains: Prof. Ibe Ifeakandu (Authorized Knowledgeable) — Deputy Chairperson; Prof Muhammad Yahuza Bello (JEOG Consultant); Prof Samuel G. Odewumi (JEOG Consultant); Prof Chinedum Uzoma Nwaj iuba (Former Vice-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme College, Ebonyi State); Prof Tanko Ishaya (Vice-Chancelor, University of Jos; Cybersecurity Knowledgeable); CP (Retd) Fatai Owoseni — Consultant of the Excessive-Stage Safety Advisory Group; Mr James Alkali Leda — Consultant of the Division of State Providers ( DSS); CSP Yakubu Rabiu — Consultant of the Nigerian Police Drive amongst others.

The Federal Authorities authorized a three-year ban for any scholar caught partaking in examination malpractice. The directive, issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, applies throughout all nationwide exterior examinations, together with JAMB, WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB.

Enforcement will depend on college students’ Nationwide Identification Quantity (NIN), making it troublesome for offenders to evade sanctions. Colleges and Laptop-Primarily based Check (CBT) centres discovered aiding malpractice or working as miracle centres danger being derecognised for a number of years.