JAMB Takes Action as 2 Students, Parent Reportedly Falsify UTME Results with AI
- JAMB arrested two candidates and a parent who were allegedly involved in falsifying 2026 UTME results using artificial intelligence tools and electronic methods
- The board confirmed that the suspects were in custody and would face legal consequences for attempting to manipulate official examination scores
- It warned candidates against altering SMS results, stating that such actions were criminal offences under its examination regulations
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has taken action against two candidates and a parent who were reportedly found to have falsified 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results using artificial intelligence tools and other electronic methods.
The board said the suspects are currently in custody and will face the full weight of the law over what it described as a serious breach of examination regulations.
Source: Facebook
JAMB made the disclosure while announcing the release of results for 632,788 candidates who sat the examination on Thursday, 16 April 2026. The results are already available for viewing through the official SMS platform.
Candidates were instructed to check their scores by sending UTMERESULT to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number registered during UTME registration. The board clarified that at this stage, candidates can only view their results, as printing of result slips has not yet been activated.
It warned candidates against tampering with official SMS notifications, stressing that any attempt to alter scores or fabricate results to mislead others, including parents, would be treated as a criminal offence.
“Candidates are strongly cautioned against manipulating the SMS received from the official platform (55019/66019) to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to mislead others, including parents. Such actions constitute a serious criminal offence,” the board stated.
JAMB added that the ongoing examination exercise is still in progress and results will continue to be released in batches as marking and processing are completed across centres nationwide.
JAMB re-arrests fake UTME agent
Meanwhile in another story, Legit.ng reported that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board confirmed the re-arrest of a suspected examination fraudster linked to a scheme that targeted candidates registered for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The suspect, Emmanuel Akataka, was taken back into custody after investigators established that he resumed fraudulent activities shortly after securing bail.
According to Channels TV, officials said he previously operated under a false identity, “Official Frederick,” while running online platforms that promised candidates illegal score manipulation services.
Source: UGC
Briefing journalists in Abuja, the Director of Special Duties, Zainab Hamza, who spoke on behalf of the Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, said Akataka was part of a wider syndicate involved in impersonation, identity theft and online fraud. According to her, the suspect deceived 94 candidates by collecting money for a service that does not exist.
Investigations showed that the fraud revolved around WhatsApp platforms where false assurances of score inflation were offered to unsuspecting candidates seeking admission.
Hamza disclosed that after his release, Akataka reconnected with the same victims using another assumed name, “Sir Frederick.”
She said he demanded N70,000 from each candidate and claimed he could stop the cancellation of their registrations because he was allegedly “in contact” with the board.
The board stated that the claim was false and designed to exploit fear among candidates whose details were already compromised.
JAMB: Court jails man for three years
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a Federal High Court in Katsina sentenced a young man, Ibrahim Abdulaziz, to three years in prison for impersonation during the UTME conducted by JAMB.
The court held that the offence struck at the credibility of public examinations and required firm punishment.
The conviction followed a trial in which prosecutors established that Abdulaziz posed as another candidate during the examination held in April 2025.
Source: Legit.ng
