The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disassociated itself from the university admission of Basola Jamiu Owodunni, a Civil Engineering graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), claiming it has no record of his admission in its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
JAMB made this known in a statement released on Sunday by its Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin. This followed a viral video by Basola, who alleged that the board invalidated his admission seven years after he began his academic journey.
According to Basola, he sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2017 and gained admission to FUTA in 2018, graduating in 2024 with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.41. Trouble began during his final clearance when he was informed that his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation had been rejected due to irregular admission.
“I was told to check the JAMB matriculation list, and it labelled my admission as fake,” he said, adding that his attempts to log into his JAMB portal were unsuccessful. Upon visiting the JAMB office, Basola claimed he was threatened with being handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).
“I ended up spending several hours in DSS and police custody before a friend intervened,” he narrated. He further revealed that a FUTA admissions officer presented documents to the police affirming that his admission was duly processed by the institution. While the police promised to forward a report to the Commissioner of Police in Abuja, JAMB has yet to issue any resolution, Basola claimed.
Basola also said he had written several letters to university officials, including the registrar and vice-chancellor, but received no clear direction. “I feel helpless. Even FUTA seems unsure of the next step,” he added.
In response, JAMB clarified that it does not initiate or recommend admissions, but only approves those forwarded by tertiary institutions. The board insisted that Basola’s name does not exist in its system, indicating a breach in the official admission process.
“Though it is evident he attended the university, he was not admitted through JAMB’s recognised procedures,” the statement read. It further urged Basola to disclose how he obtained a questionable admission document which the board said did not originate from its system.
The board warned prospective students to accept only admissions processed through CAPS, reiterating its commitment to upholding due process. “If Basola is found to have complied with legal procedures, JAMB will not hesitate to support him,” the board assured.
This case has sparked concerns about oversight and discrepancies in the Nigerian university admission system, especially for students who may unknowingly fall through procedural cracks.
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