The Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEIi) of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has blown the lid off an alarming wave of technology-driven malpractice undermining Nigeria’s admission process.
Presenting its findings in Abuja to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the committee’s chairman, Jake Epelle, revealed that investigators uncovered 4,251 cases of “finger blending”—a biometric manipulation tactic used to beat the system—alongside 192 instances of AI-powered impersonation through image morphing in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
But the fraud runs even deeper. The committee also documented 1,878 false disability claims, forged academic credentials, multiple NIN registrations, and collusion between candidates and organised exam syndicates.
The SCEIi, inaugurated on August 18, was tasked with probing the rising sophistication of exam fraud, reviewing JAMB’s security framework, and recommending reforms.
Epelle lamented that examination malpractice has now become “highly organised, tech-driven, and dangerously normalised,” with parents, tutorial centres, schools, and even some CBT operators implicated. He added that weak legal frameworks continue to embolden offenders.
To combat the menace, the committee urged JAMB to adopt a robust, multi-layered response, including AI-powered biometric anomaly detection, real-time monitoring systems, and the creation of a central Examination Security Operations Centre to safeguard the integrity of future exams.
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