Data provided by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that Anambra and Lagos States top the list of suspects arrested in connection with malpractices during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that a total of 80 suspects are currently under police investigation for various exam-related infractions.
He emphasised that new and more sophisticated methods of cheating were detected during the registration and examination process.
“These include identity fraud, biometric manipulation, use of combined thumbprints from candidates and impersonators at registration points, double registrations, and attempted substitution of candidates,” Oloyede said.
Anambra State recorded the highest number of arrests with 14 suspects: 13 for impersonation and one for a mismatched photograph. Lagos State followed with nine suspects facing allegations of impersonation, spying, and illegal possession of mobile phones.
Other states with significant arrests include:
Delta — 8 suspects (impersonation); Kano — 7 suspects (impersonation and possession of mobile phones); Kaduna — 6 suspects (impersonation and mobile phone possession); Rivers — 6 suspects (impersonation, mobile phones, calculators); Ebonyi & Enugu — 5 suspects each (impersonation).
In one particularly unusual case, Prof. Oloyede revealed that a blind candidate hired another blind person , who’s an undergraduate to impersonate him in the examination.
“These new forms of malpractice present challenges that require coordinated responses, especially from CBT centres and parents,” the Registrar noted.
Recall that on Friday, JAMB released the official results of the 2025 UTME, in which over 1.5 million out of 1.9 million candidates scored below 200 marks out of a possible 400.
Each candidate sat for four subjects, with English compulsory and three others based on their chosen field of study.
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