Fresh data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that Anambra and Lagos States topped the list of suspects currently under police investigation for alleged involvement in examination malpractices during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, made this known during a press briefing held at the Board’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday. According to him, over 80 suspects across various states are presently being interrogated by security operatives over offences ranging from impersonation to biometric manipulation and illegal possession of devices.
Oloyede disclosed that the Board observed a disturbing evolution in fraudulent tactics deployed by some candidates and accomplices during the 2025 examination cycle.
He said new schemes included the use of combined thumbprints between candidates and impersonators at Computer-Based Test (CBT) registration centres, suspected collusion by operators of some CBT centres, instances of double registration, and cases where candidates attempted to replace themselves with impersonators at examination venues.
According to the breakdown, Anambra State accounted for the highest number of suspects, with 14 individuals arrested for 13 cases of impersonation and one case of picture mismatch. Lagos State followed closely with nine suspects arrested for offences including impersonation, spying, and illegal possession of mobile phones during the exam.
Other states with significant arrests include Delta (eight suspects), Kano (seven suspects), Kaduna (six suspects), Rivers (six suspects), Ebonyi (five), and Enugu (five). Most of the offences involved impersonation, often combined with unlawful possession of electronic gadgets.
In a particularly striking case, the JAMB Registrar revealed that a blind candidate hired another blind person—an undergraduate—to impersonate him during the exam. Oloyede noted that the impersonator has since been arrested.
The 2025 UTME, taken by 1.9 million candidates, had its results officially released on Friday. Preliminary analysis presented by the Board showed that over 1.5 million candidates scored below 200 out of the maximum 400—a trend that has continued to raise concerns about declining academic performance and integrity.
The UTME tests candidates in four subjects, including the compulsory Use of English, alongside three others related to their preferred courses of study.
The Board reiterated its commitment to upholding the integrity of its examinations and warned that anyone found guilty of malpractice, including CBT operators, would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
