The Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI), established by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has laid bare the alarming level of parental involvement in examination fraud, attributing 80 per cent of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) infractions to parents.
This revelation emerged during a television appearance by the committee’s chairman, Dr Jake Epelle, on Channels Television on Monday night.
Inaugurated on 18 August 2025, the panel was charged with investigating the surge in irregularities during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), evaluating JAMB’s systems, and recommending reforms.
The committee, which convened for three weeks, exposed sophisticated, technology-driven malpractices.
Dr Epelle reported the panel uncovered: 4,251 cases of “finger blending” (biometric tampering), 190 cases of AI-assisted impersonation through image morphing, 1,878 false disability claims, notably albinism, numerous forged credentials, multiple NIN registrations, and syndicate collusion.
According to Dr Epelle, “Eighty per cent of infractions is caused by parents who want to give marks to their children that they don’t deserve.”
He added that tutorial centres, schools, faith-based institutions, and some CBT operators were complicit in perpetuating this organised fraud.
Despite these infractions, Epelle asserted that JAMB’s systems remain among the most advanced in the country.
However, he lamented that “the system is robust, but there is a consistent conspiracy to undermine it. Young people with technology in their hands are manipulating the process.”
He emphasised the need for locally adaptive technology, reflecting Nigeria’s realities.
Dr Epelle commended JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, for his transparency and restraint:
“Professor Oloyede was absolutely transparent throughout the period. He didn’t even take my call, deliberately, because he didn’t want to interfere,” he said. “The very first time he saw the report was this (Monday) morning when it was handed over to him.”
Oloyede reportedly shed tears upon learning that some JAMB staff were implicated due to negligence.
Dr Epelle vowed that there would be consequences. According to him, “Many CBT centres will be shut down, their equipment seized, and their owners prosecuted. The time has come to name and shame…”
The committee put forward the following key proposals for reform: AI-powered biometric anomaly detection, real-time monitoring, and a central Examination Security Operations Centre; cancellation of fraudulent results, bans of one to three years, prosecution of offenders, and setting up a Central Sanctions Registry accessible to institutions and employers; and enhancements such as digitising correction processes, more rigorous disability verification, tightening mobile-first platforms, and banning schools from bulk registrations.
Additionally, it urged legal reforms by amending the JAMB Act and the Examination Malpractice Act to recognise biometric and digital fraud, and the provision for a Legal Unit within JAMB.
The committee also highlighted the need for a cultural shift through the following: launching a nationwide “Integrity First” campaign, integrating ethics into school curricula, and holding parents accountable.
For minors under 18, the committee recommends rehabilitation, not merely punishment, under the Child Rights Act, including counselling and supervised reintegration.
Dr Epelle warned, “If left unchecked, examination malpractice will continue to erode merit, undermine public trust, and destroy the very foundation of Nigeria’s education and human capital development.”
