JAMB warns candidates, parents against exam fraud amid AI-assisted scams

Registrar Ishaq Oloyede emphasizes strict penalties and system safeguards

The Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ishaq Oloyede, has issued a stern warning to candidates and parents against perpetrating or facilitating examination fraud in the ongoing 2026 UTME registration.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday, Oloyede described the prevalence of such fraud as a “grave and disturbing development” that threatens the integrity of Nigeria’s educational system. He emphasized that the Board will no longer tolerate attempts to manipulate examination outcomes.

Recent investigations revealed the involvement of sophisticated criminal syndicates using artificial intelligence to impersonate JAMB officials and defraud candidates. Over 100 candidates were implicated, with 83 confirmed to have made payments for illicit assistance, spanning 25 states.

Oloyede stressed that students and their parents who subscribe to these services are active participants, not innocent bystanders. “All those who paid to be assisted, we are making appropriate recommendations to the authorities, particularly to the Minister of Education, so that we can cancel all registrations,” he said.

The registrar dismissed claims that JAMB increased registration fees, clarifying that any irregular charges were not sanctioned by the Board. Some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres have already been sanctioned for violating regulations.

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He rejected suggestions that JAMB should negotiate with offenders, comparing it to condoning the use of fake drugs, and warning that suspects who attempt to bypass legal channels will be referred to security agencies.

Strengthened Systems and Partnerships to Protect Integrity

Oloyede also addressed concerns about the Board’s capacity to counter increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. He expressed confidence in JAMB’s technical systems, which include the ability to detect prohibited devices during exams.

The Board is also leveraging close partnerships with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Directorate of State Services, the Nigerian Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to investigate fraudulent activities and secure compliance.

Highlighting the issue of underage candidates, the registrar noted that many young students, with their parents’ complicity, are now involved in soliciting illegal assistance. He emphasized that paying for fraud undermines the future of students and teaches deception as acceptable, cautioning that ignorance will not be accepted as a defence.

Oloyede concluded by appealing to the media and communities to discourage malpractice and promote integrity, reminding parents that JAMB’s mandate is limited to conducting examinations, not providing moral instruction.

The 2026 UTME registration process began on January 26 and closed at accredited centres on February 28, with the general registration window closing on February 26. As of February 17, more than 1.5 million candidates had registered, underscoring the scale of the Board’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the examination process.