Security agencies have apprehended 20 individuals suspected of tampering with the computer-based Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for 2025, organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The arrests were carried out in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital by personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force, according to information gathered by Channels Television.
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Investigations indicate that the suspects are part of a wider network, potentially consisting of over 100 individuals, who are believed to be involved in compromising the computer systems of national examination bodies such as JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Sources close to the security agencies disclosed that the arrested individuals confessed to manipulating the examination process with the intent to undermine the credibility of JAMB and erode public trust in the Computer-Based Testing (CBT) method, particularly ahead of similar assessments administered by NECO and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The suspects allegedly ran their operations from private schools and tutorial centres, charging candidates exorbitant fees—ranging between N700,000 and N2 million—to guarantee high scores in the UTME. This year’s UTME, which began in April, faced significant criticism.
Numerous candidates complained about being assigned to distant centres, preventing them from participating in the exam. When JAMB released the results on May 9, data revealed that over 78 percent of candidates scored below 200 out of a total of 400 marks, sparking public outrage and raising concerns about the fairness of the process.
In a subsequent press briefing on May 14, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede acknowledged a technical glitch that compromised exam integrity at 157 centres across the country.
He disclosed that 379,997 candidates were affected by these errors, which stemmed from a failed server update in the Lagos and Southeast regions, leading to issues with uploading candidate responses during the initial days of the exam.
As a remedial measure, JAMB conducted a special re-sit examination for those impacted by the technical fault.
 for 2025, organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).){kind=link}