The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a fresh case of examination malpractice involving advanced technology, leading to the arrest of two candidates and a parent over alleged manipulation of 2026 UTME results.
According to officials, the suspects were caught using artificial intelligence tools and other digital methods to falsify their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scores. The manipulation reportedly involved tampering with official SMS result notifications to inflate or alter scores, with the aim of deceiving parents and other stakeholders.
The arrests were announced shortly after JAMB released results for over 600,000 candidates who participated in the first batch of the 2026 UTME, which began nationwide on April 16. Authorities revealed that the suspects are currently in custody and undergoing investigation for their involvement in the fraud.
JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, emphasized that such actions constitute a serious criminal offence and warned that the board would not hesitate to prosecute offenders. He also reiterated the importance of maintaining the integrity of the examination process, stressing that any attempt to manipulate official results would attract strict legal consequences.
The board further cautioned candidates to rely only on official channels when checking their results. Candidates are advised to use the approved SMS codes linked to their registration numbers, warning that altering these messages or relying on unofficial platforms could lead to serious penalties.
The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) remains a critical requirement for admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria. As such, JAMB has continued to strengthen its monitoring systems to combat examination fraud and protect the credibility of the process.
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This latest development highlights the growing misuse of emerging technologies like AI in examination malpractice, raising concerns among education stakeholders. JAMB has assured the public that it is intensifying efforts to identify and prosecute individuals attempting to undermine the system.
