JAMB Arrests CBT Operator For Chatting with 15-Yr-Old Girl, Discloses His Fate

JAMB Arrests CBT Operator For Chatting with 15-Yr-Old Girl, Discloses His Fate

  • JAMB has arrested a CBT operator and an accomplice for chatting with a 15-year-old UTME candidate
  • The duo were arrested following an allegation from the mother of the pupil that JAMB could not protect the data of candidates against bullying
  • The girl's daughter, identified as Iphie, had registered the candidate with her phone number, but the CBT operator picked up the number from her registration form and started chatting with her

Legit.ng journalist Bada Yusuf is an accomplished politics and current affairs editor, boasting over seven years of experience in journalism and writing.

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has arrested a centre operator of the Computer Based Test (CBT) and an accomplice over their inappropriate communication with a 15-year-old candidate of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Board (UTME).

Read also

"Feeling Suicidal": JAMB reacts as student threatens to kill self over failure to register for UTME

JAMB initiated the arrest following an alarm raised by the pupil's mother, who had used her phone number for the candidate during the registration exercise.

The mother, identified as Iphie, said she began receiving inappropriate phone messages soon after the registration.

Ishaq Oloyede/2024 JAMB/2024 UTME/CBT Centres
JAMB arrests CBT centre operator over cyberbullying Photo Credit: JAMB
Source: Twitter

How JAMB arrested CBT operator

The concerned mother, took to her X page to express her displeasure over the incident and accused JAMB of being negligent and having poor data protection.

This made the examination body to initiate an investigation into the matter.

According to Iphie, the CBT operator picked up the phone number from the registration form her daughter had filled and started texting the number, believing he was chatting with the candidate directly.

Despite being informed of the teenager's age, the CBT operator continued sending text messages and said the conversation should remain confidential.

Read also

Economic hardship: Good news as Tinubu moves to pay unemployed youths monthly stipend

JAMB reveals penalties for CBT operators

Speaking to journalists after the arrest, Damilola Bamiro, JAMB ICT consultant, in a video shared by Channels TV on Thursday, February 1, said the arrest of the CBT operator was made following the mother's complaint, which has gone viral on social media.

He said:

"Immediately we got that information, we swung into action, we identified the centre and since our system identifies who has registered a candidate, we were able to apprehend both the person that registered the candidate and the person that approached the minor.
"We have them in custody already, just to assure Nigerians that JAMB will always swing into action whenever any case against any candidate is reported.“

Speaking on the fate of the CBT operator, Bamiro noted that he would be immediately prosecuted and his centre would be deregistered.

He said:

"Naturally, a lot of centres that infringe on any of our policies, we withdraw their accesses, and we have done so with this one as well."

Read also

Insecurity: Zamfara lawmakers impeach speaker, details emerge

See the video of the arrest here:

2024 UTME: Candidates will pay extra - JAMB

Legit.ng earlier reported that JAMB denied the claim that it had increased the amount candidates would pay for the 2024 UTME forms.

Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB registrar, explained that the extra money students would pay was meant for the CBT centres.

According to the JAMB registrar, the centres had to increase their money because of the country's high fuel cost.

Source: Legit.ng

Online view pixel