JAMB uncovers 4,251 biometric fraud cases in 2025 UTME
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has exposed widespread examination malpractice in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with more than 4,000 biometric fraud cases detected across test centres nationwide.
According to findings from its Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI), 4,251 cases of “finger blending,” a biometric manipulation technique devised to bypass fingerprint verification, were recorded during the examination exercise.
Presenting its report on Monday at JAMB headquarters in Abuja, Chairman of the Committee, Dr Jake Epelle, disclosed that 190 cases of Artificial Intelligence–assisted impersonation were also uncovered. The fraudulent activity involved the use of image morphing technology to falsify candidates’ identities.
The committee further identified 1,878 cases involving false disability claims, forged documents, multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and collusion with organised examination syndicates.
Dr Epelle cautioned that malpractice had evolved into “a highly structured, technology-driven enterprise that is becoming dangerously normalised,” alleging that parents, tutorial centres, schools, and some Computer-Based Test (CBT) operators were actively complicit.
He noted that weak legal provisions were hindering effective enforcement and called for legislative reforms, including amendments to the JAMB Act and the Examination Malpractice Act, to address biometric and digital fraud more robustly.
The panel recommended the cancellation of fraudulent results, bans of one to three years for offenders, prosecution of candidates and collaborators, and the creation of a Central Sanctions Registry accessible to schools and employers.
Other proposals include the digitisation of correction processes, tighter disability verification protocols, AI-driven anomaly detection, real-time surveillance, and the establishment of a central Examination Security Operations Centre. For offenders under 18, the committee advised rehabilitative measures under the Child Rights Act.
It also advised a nationwide “Integrity First” campaign, the integration of ethics into school curricula, and stronger parental accountability to discourage malpractice.
Receiving the report, JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, described the revelations as “a wake-up call to the entire education sector.”
He acknowledged that although JAMB had made significant progress in tackling malpractice, “the sophistication of new schemes shows that the fight must be continuous and adaptive.”
The Registrar assured that the Board would act decisively on the recommendations, disclosing that discussions were already underway with security agencies and the National Assembly to close the legal loopholes exploited by offenders.
Professor Oloyede stressed that families, schools, and society at large must take responsibility for discouraging malpractice, warning that the complicity of parents and tutorial centres reflected “a deeper ethical crisis that requires urgent national dialogue and reorientation.”
Reaffirming JAMB’s commitment to equity and fairness, he pledged: “The Board will continue to invest in advanced technology, build stronger collaborations with institutions, and intensify public awareness campaigns to ensure that merit remains the sole determinant of access to higher education.”