The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has recommended strict penalties for 11 computer-based test (CBT) centres and several candidates involved in biometric irregularities during the registration process for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB’s Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this after a high-level meeting with stakeholders and affected parties in Abuja. He stated that the move was necessary to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary entrance examination system.
According to Oloyede, candidates found guilty of registering more than 50 candidates using fraudulent fingerprints risk being banned from participating in all JAMB-related activities—including writing UTME and other public exams such as WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB—for three years. These candidates will only be reconsidered after demonstrating genuine remorse.
For others with lesser offences, the Board will issue warnings and require the submission of written apologies and signed undertakings promising non-recurrence of such infractions.
CBT Centres Face Sanctions and Retraining
Affected CBT centres will not be spared either. While not immediately blacklisted, JAMB is mandating that all implicated centres submit themselves to a retraining process. Each centre must obtain a certification from a nearby federal university, confirming that its staff have been trained on ethical standards related to exam administration.
“Without evidence of such training, these centres will not be allowed to participate in future JAMB activities,” said Oloyede, whose remarks were delivered through JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin.
In cases where the CBT centres are owned by federal institutions, official reports will be forwarded to the respective authorities for further action.
CBT Operators Plead for Mercy
At the stakeholder meeting, several registrants and CBT operators admitted their roles in the malpractice, attributing it to ignorance and pressure to increase registration numbers. Some broke down in tears, pleading for leniency.
Former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, who was present at the session, noted that such acts are prosecutable. However, he appealed to JAMB to consider rehabilitation by requiring the offenders to sign undertakings instead of facing legal punishment.
One of the affected centres, Jicoras CBT Centre in Jigawa, has already launched an internal investigation. “This is our first year of operation. We didn’t fully understand the implications. But we promise this will never happen again,” said Bashir Gumel, an official of the centre.
List of Implicated CBT Centres
The following centres were summoned and are under review for alleged misconduct:
Misau Emirate ICT Centre, Misau, Bauchi State
Ijaw National Academy, Kiama, Bayelsa State
Directorate of ICT, Nigerian Army University, Biu, Gombe State
Emerald IT Academy Limited, Benin City, Edo State
Tigh Technologies, Sascon International School, Maitama, Abuja
Jicoras CBT Centre, Babura, Jigawa State
Huntsville Technology Limited, Anthony, Lagos
Jolas College CBT Centre, Obalende, Lagos
Abdul Ocean Wealth CBT Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State
National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Wase, Plateau State
Consulate Salle D’Examen CBT Centre, Rivers State
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