An investigative panel set up by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has announced that it uncovered massive exam fraud in the recently concluded 2025 UTME.
The investigative panel announced that it uncovered 4,251 finger blends, 190 AI cheats during the 2025 UTME.
This comes after the panel named Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI), presented its damning report to JAMB Registrar Professor Is-haq Oloyede on Monday.
The panel, chaired by Dr. Jake Epelle, said the report which exposed exam fraud in 2025 UTME also highlighted how sophisticated fraud is eroding the integrity of the nation’s admission process.
During his address at JAMB’s headquarters on Monday, Epelle described the assignment as more than administrative, but a moral obligation, a national service, and a fight for the soul of meritocracy in Nigeria.
Aside from the finger blending and AI impersonation, Epelle disclosed that the panel also found instances of false disability claims by 1,878 candidates, forged credentials, multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and collusion between candidates and examination syndicates.
Epelle said: “Registrar Sir, our conclusion is unambiguous: 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.
“But if we act with courage—through bold reforms, technological innovation, cultural reorientation, and uncompromising enforcement—we can turn this tide.
“Today, as we hand over this report, we affirm our collective commitment to defend the integrity of the Nigerian education system. This report is not just about exposing fraud; it is about charting a new course for transparency, fairness, and meritocracy in admissions.
“On behalf of the Committee, I thank you, Registrar, for the opportunity to serve our nation in this capacity. May the recommendations contained herein contribute to strengthening JAMB, safeguarding our future, and building a Nigeria where merit, not malpractice, determines destiny.”
Speaking further on the exam fraud in 2025 UTME during an interview with Channels TV, Epelle added: “This is the age of AI. And what is going on is that JAMB rolls out the state-of-the-art technology, but there are some people behind the scenes.
“These are smart, young Nigerians. I discovered a particular student in medical school at the university, every year he goes to take JAMB. He does not take JAMB for himself, he takes JAMB for people and gets paid for it.
“So, the system is robust, but there is a consistent conspiracy to undermine the system. Remember, every technology has its glitches, and so especially in this country, and that’s why I am a proponent of adaptive technology. We need a technology that is adapted to our environment, that speaks to issues that we are going through.”
To reclaim integrity in admissions, Epelle also urged JAMB to adopt a multi-pronged response that includes deploying AI-powered biometric anomaly tools, real-time monitoring, and a central Examination Security Operations Centre.
Also recommended by the Committee was the cancellation of fraudulent results, imposing bans of one to three years, prosecuting offenders and collaborators, and establishing a Central Sanctions Registry to be accessible to institutions and employers.
On prevention, the panel called for digitising correction processes, strengthening disability verification, tightening mobile-first platforms, and outlawing bulk school-led registrations.
It further advised legal reforms through amendments to the JAMB Act and Examination Malpractice Act to recognise biometric and digital fraud, as well as the creation of a Legal Unit within JAMB.
The committee also stressed the need for cultural reorientation, urging a nationwide Integrity First campaign, embedding ethics in school curricula, and parental accountability for aiding malpractice.
For under-18 offenders, it recommends rehabilitative measures under the Child Rights Act, including counseling and supervised re-registration rather than punitive sanctions.
Receiving the report, Oloyede assured that the Board would prioritise implementation of the recommendations, particularly those within JAMB’s mandate, while it would also consult the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, on some of the issues.
Oloyede said that malpractice undermines the credibility of assessments and has far-reaching consequences:
He said: “Examination malpractice is not a victimless crime. It devalues education, cheats hardworking candidates, and produces incompetent professionals, engineers who cannot build, doctors who endanger lives, and graduates unfit to contribute to society.”
