The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has unveiled a sophisticated criminal network that allegedly utilized artificial intelligence-generated content to defraud candidates during the ongoing registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This operation has resulted in the arrest of several suspects across the country.
At a press conference held at the Board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, labeled this discovery as a “grave and disturbing development” that threatens the integrity of Nigeria’s education system and jeopardizes the futures of countless honest candidates.
Oloyede explained that the syndicate operated by impersonating high-ranking government officials, including the Minister of Education and the JAMB Registrar, through the use of AI-generated videos and manipulated images, which were crafted to lend an air of legitimacy to their activities.
The fraudsters deceived candidates and their parents into paying for what they falsely claimed were specialized arrangements and assistance guarantees for success in the UTME.
JAMB’s discreet, technology-driven investigation traced the illegal activities to multiple locations nationwide, revealing connections to over 100 candidates across 25 states. Among them, 83 candidates were confirmed to have made payments for these illicit services.
Prof. Oloyede emphasized that the Board will not regard those involved as victims, asserting that candidates and their parents who willingly engaged with the syndicate must be held accountable for their choices.
“What is important for us to emphasise is that the students themselves and their parents are willing collaborators and they cannot be regarded as innocent,” he said.
The Registrar revealed that JAMB had concluded plans to recommend the cancellation of the UTME registrations of all candidates found to have engaged the services of the fraudsters.
“We have made up our mind that all those who subscribed and paid to be assisted will have their registrations cancelled. Paying for examination fraud is a crime and we will not negotiate with criminals,” he declared.
He warned parents against facilitating malpractice for their children, noting that such actions ultimately undermine the moral foundation of the society and destroy the future they seek to secure.
“Parents must understand that paying for fraud does not secure a child’s future; it destroys it. You are teaching them that cheating is a strategy, that deception is acceptable and that merit is optional,” Oloyede said.
The investigation also exposed the involvement of some tutorial centres and school proprietors who allegedly coordinated logistics for the operation. In some cases, candidates were reportedly transported across state lines and lodged in hotels where arrangements for malpractice were perfected.
Despite the increasing sophistication of the fraudulent tactics, the JAMB Registrar expressed confidence in the Board’s capacity to stay ahead through continuous technological innovation and collaboration with security agencies.
“We are ahead of them. The only problem we have is public opinion,” he stated, while calling on the media and other stakeholders to support the fight against examination malpractice.
Oloyede also used the opportunity to dismiss as false and politically motivated the recent claims that JAMB had increased the cost of UTME registration.
He maintained that the approved fees remain unchanged and urged the public to report any individual or Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre found to be charging above the stipulated rates. He added that some erring CBT centres had already been sanctioned.
The Registrar emphasised that the fraudulent activities were not peculiar to any particular part of the country, noting that those involved were evenly spread across different regions.
“This shows clearly that examination malpractice is a national problem that requires a collective response,” Oloyede explained.
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