Anambra, Lagos Account for Majority of UTME Malpractice Suspects

Data released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has indicated that Anambra and Lagos states have the highest number of individuals currently under police interrogation for alleged involvement in malpractices during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed during a press briefing held at the board’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday that 80 suspects are being questioned by law enforcement. He stated that novel methods of examination fraud were detected during the registration and examination phases of the 2025 UTME.
Professor Oloyede outlined these new methods, including identity and biometric fraud involving the collaboration of candidates and impersonators at registration points, facilitated by some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers. Double registration and attempts by candidates to have others sit the examination on their behalf were also identified.
According to the data provided by JAMB, Anambra State recorded the highest number of suspects with 14 individuals apprehended. These arrests relate to 13 cases of impersonation and one instance of picture mismatch.
Lagos State follows with nine suspects in custody, facing allegations of impersonation, spying activities, and the possession of unauthorized mobile phones during the examination.
Other states with a notable number of arrests include Delta, where eight suspects are being interrogated for impersonation; Kano, with seven suspects arrested for impersonation and possession of mobile phones; and Kaduna, with six suspects held for impersonation and mobile phone possession.
Furthermore, six suspects were arrested in Rivers State for offenses including impersonation, possession of mobile phones, and calculators. Ebonyi and Enugu states each recorded five arrests, all related to impersonation.
During Friday’s briefing, Professor Oloyede also revealed an instance where a visually impaired candidate allegedly hired another visually impaired individual, an undergraduate, to impersonate them during the 2025 UTME.
The official results of the 2025 UTME were released to the public on Friday. Prior to the release, JAMB provided performance statistics for the approximately 1.9 million candidates who participated in the examination. The data indicated that over 1.5 million candidates scored below 200 out of a total of 400 marks. The UTME assesses candidates across four subjects, including the mandatory Use of English and three other subjects relevant to their chosen course of study.