UTME: JAMB Apprehends 50 Exam Cheats
BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – Resolute to sanitize its processes for effective mandate delivery, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said on Monday that it has apprehended about 50 professional examination writers in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
According to the Board, the impostors were arrested nationwide following its intelligence gathering mechanism.
In the Board’s weekly bulletin, JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin disclosed that some of these professional examination writers include Masters’ degree holders, post-graduate and undergraduate students of various tertiary institutions across the country.
Benjamin explained that these dubious professional writers connived with owners and operators of Computer Based Test Centres (CBTs) to carry out the crime by engaging in multiple registrations where the fingerprints of the main candidates are captured side by side with that of the impostors.
“The board has uncovered a group of professional examination writers who take the exams for prospective candidates for a fee. As a result of intelligence gathering, over 50 of such writers have been arrested across the country.
“Some of the fraudsters are Masters’ Degree holders, postgraduate and undergraduate students of tertiary institutions”, the bulletin said
It further stated that; “The modus operandi of these UTME syndicates was confirmed when one of the kingpins was apprehended recently.”
The JAMB’s image maker said the culprit confessed to being involved multiple registrations of his biometric along with several other candidates with the intention of sitting for them and collecting huge sums of money from the candidates.
He also said: “This Development is the fundamental reason for the decision of the board to revalidate all biometrics of candidates that have taken the board’s examination in recent times.
“This timely action would enable the board to not only fish out and dismantle these registration cartels and racketeers but also bring them to book along with their collaborators.”
Fabian, who also stated that 1,236,316 candidates out of the 1.8 million registered have so far taken the examination, added that; “A total of 1,886,238 UTME candidates are expected to sit nationwide. And, 1,236,316 candidates have so far taken their examination.”
