The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning about its heightened measures to combat examination malpractice, revealing an alarming case of a father arrested for writing the UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination) on behalf of his son.
During an inspection of UTME centers in Kaduna, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, expressed satisfaction with the 2024 examination, which saw 1.94 million students participating.
However, he expressed concern over instances of impersonation, highlighting the misuse of multiple National Identity Numbers (NIN) as a means of identity fraud.
Oloyede emphasized the consequences of cheating, stating that the technological advancements employed by JAMB have significantly improved detection capabilities.
He revealed a shocking incident where a father was caught impersonating his son during the exam. Both individuals are now in custody.
He explained, “It is largely cases of impersonation, but we are ahead of them; we are just picking them up like chicken now, because the facilities are there for us to see what they are doing and to pick them up.”
Additionally, Oloyede addressed logistical challenges that affected some candidates, particularly those who missed the exam due to transportation issues.
He cited instances where schools, driven by profit, registered students in bulk, leading to logistical difficulties.
Furthermore, he criticized instances where third parties, including religious bodies and schools, attempted to influence examination arrangements. He stressed that candidates should communicate directly with JAMB and not through intermediaries.
To address these challenges, Oloyede called for the support of highly populated states like Lagos to establish mega Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers similar to those in Kaduna.
These centers, capable of accommodating thousands of candidates per day, could significantly alleviate logistical issues during the examination process.
He noted that JAMB has the resources to establish such centers but requires support from state governments to provide the necessary land.
He emphasized the success of the CBT centers in Kaduna, which were built with the support of the Kaduna State Government, accommodating up to 4,000 candidates per day.
He lamented the lack of a similar response from the authorities in Lagos despite efforts to secure land for such a center.
