UTME 2026: JAMB Replies Candidates Seeking Refund of Money Wasted on Checking Unreleased Results
- Many candidates repeatedly attempted to check their UTME results for April 17 and incurred multiple service charges
- JAMB had apologised for missing its earlier timeline and explained that the delay was due to the registrar’s official engagement outside Abuja
- The board had firmly dismissed refund demands, insisting that candidates acted on their own since no official announcement of result release was made
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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has addressed complaints from candidates who spent money attempting to access results from the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination held on April 17.
Concerns grew after many candidates repeatedly tried to check their scores following an earlier indication that the results would be released on Saturday, April 18.
Source: Facebook
The board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, had initially told candidates to expect updates before midnight but later issued an apology when the timeline was not met.
“Our Chief Executive was unavailable due to an important engagement but would be in the office today, and we assure you that the results will be released later today, surely before nightfall,” he said.
Despite the assurance, several candidates reported being charged multiple times while trying to access results that were not yet available.
Responding to calls for refunds, Benjamin dismissed the requests. He explained that the board never officially announced the release of results at the time candidates began checking, TheCable reported.
“Why would you say they deduct money for something that has not been released? When we release results, we will tell Nigerians. So what refunds are you talking about? If they check, how is that supposed to be our business?” he said.
He also noted that the delay was due to the sensitive nature of result processing, which required the direct involvement of the registrar. Candidates have been advised to wait for official confirmation before attempting to access their results.
Source: UGC
JAMB re-arrests fake UTME agent
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.
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
