“4,251 Finger Blends, 190 AI Cheats in 2025 UTME,” JAMB Raises Alarm

• A panel constituted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has called for the cancellation of some fraudulent UTME 2025 results
• The panel made this suggestion after it uncovered 4,251 cases of “finger blending” and 190 instances of AI-assisted impersonation during its investigations into the 2025 UTME
• JAMB special committee on examination infractions (SCEIi) led by its chairman, Jake Epelle, presented its report to the JAMB registrar on Monday, September 8

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has received a report from its Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI), exposing how technology-driven malpractice was undermining Nigeria’s admission process.

Constituted in August 2025, the committee was given a three-week mandate to investigate irregularities detected during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Presenting the report in Abuja on Monday, September 8, to the JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, chairman of the committee, Dr. Jake Epelle revealed that the team uncovered 4,251 cases of “finger blending” and 190 instances of AI-assisted impersonation through image morphing during its investigations into the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

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As reported by NTA, beyond finger blending and AI impersonation, the committee documented 1,878 false disability claims, forged credentials, multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and collusion between candidates and examination syndicates.

He warned that parents, tutorial centres, schools, and even some CBT operators were complicit in the fraud, while weak legal frameworks made enforcement difficult.

Malpractice: Committee recommends cancellation of results

The panel, inaugurated on August 18, was charged with the responsibility of probing rising infractions, reviewing JAMB’s systems, and recommending reforms.

But on Monday, Epelle lamented that malpractice has become highly organised, technology-driven, and dangerously normalised.

He said that parents, tutorial centres, schools, and even some CBT operators were complicit in the fraud, while weak legal frameworks made enforcement difficult.

The committee thereby called on JAMB to adopt a multi-pronged response that includes deploying AI-powered biometric anomaly tools, real-time monitoring, and a central examination security operations centre.

Additionally, the committee recommended the cancellation of fraudulent results, imposing bans of one to three years, prosecuting offenders and collaborators, and establishing a central sanctions registry to be accessible to institutions and employers.

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JAMB: Anambra, Imo lead UTME malpractice centres

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that JAMB released the list of CBT centres across the country that were involved in examination malpractices during the recently concluded 2025 UTME exercise.

According to JAMB, 19 CBT centres were caught across the country, with Anambra and Imo recording the highest number of centres with examination malpractices.

JAMB's data showed that Kano, Abia, Edo, Ebonyi, Delta, Kaduna, Rivers and Enugu also recorded CBT centres involved in examination malpractices.

Read more about JAMB here:

• JAMB orders public universities to conclude 2025 admissions
• JAMB to begin screening of underage candidates, date, other details emerge
• 2025 UTME top scorer of Imo school scores 347 as 7 other students score high, their results emerge

JAMB orders candidates to reupload WAEC result

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that JAMB directed all candidates who uploaded their O’level results before WAEC released the final 2025 SSCE results to return to its centres.

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The board, led by Professor Ishaq Olarewaju Oloyede, shared the update via its official X account on Monday, August 25, 2025.

WASSCE is a prerequisite for taking the UTME and a key requirement to gain admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng