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Anambra and Lagos states have emerged as the leading offenders in cases of examination malpractice during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), according to data released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
A total of 80 suspects are currently being interrogated by the police across the country, with Anambra accounting for 14 of them. These individuals were arrested in connection with 13 cases of impersonation and one incident involving a picture mismatch. Lagos follows closely with nine arrests, related to impersonation, spying, and possession of mobile phones. JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, shared these figures during a press briefing at the board’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday. He also highlighted the emergence of increasingly sophisticated forms of examination fraud, not only during the UTME but also during the registration process. These include identity and biometric frauds, such as the use of combined thumbprints between candidates and impersonators, often facilitated by compromised Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres. Other tactics have involved double registrations and attempts to substitute one candidate for another.
In addition to Anambra and Lagos, states like Delta, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Ebonyi, and Enugu have also reported notable arrests. Delta recorded eight suspects for impersonation, while Kano had seven suspects linked to impersonation and illegal possession of mobile phones. Kaduna had six suspects for similar offences. Rivers also had six individuals arrested for impersonation and for being caught with mobile phones and calculators. Ebonyi and Enugu each recorded five cases of impersonation. In a particularly striking incident, Oloyede reported that a blind candidate had hired another blind individual, already an undergraduate, to impersonate him and sit for the UTME.
The results of the 2025 UTME were officially released on Friday. According to JAMB, of the 1.9 million candidates who took the exam, over 1.5 million scored below 200 marks, a threshold considered to reflect average performance. The UTME is scored out of 400 and tests candidates in four core subjects, with English being compulsory, while the remaining three subjects are chosen based on the candidate’s desired field of study.
