The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it uncovered and arrested over 50 ‘professional examination writers’ who specialise in writing examination for candidates; for a fee.
Head of JAMB’s Media and Information, Fabian Benjamin, wrote this in the board’s weekly official bulletin, ‘JAMBULLETIN,” issued yesterday.
Over 1.8 million candidates are expected to sit for the board’s ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) which commenced nationwide on Thursday, April 11.
The board said it uncovered the ‘professional examination writers’ after various intelligence-gathering mechanism, and was able to uncover and arrest over 50 of such fraudulent persons in centres spread across the country. It noted that some of the suspects were Master’s degree holders and undergraduates of tertiary institutions in the country.
“These professional examination writers connived with some Computer Based Centre owners to perpetrate the crime, by engaging in multiple registrations where by the fingerprints of the actual candidates and their impersonators are captured side by side.
“The modus operandi of these UTME syndicates was confirmed when one of the kingpins was apprehended recently.
“On interrogation, he confessed to the multiple registration of his biometrics, alongside other several potential candidates preparing to sit for the examination, in exchange for a huge sum of money.
“This development led to the decision of the board to revalidate all biometrics of candidates that have taken the board’s examination in recent times.
“This timely action will enable the board to not only fish out and dismantle these registration cartels and racketeers, but also, bring them to book; along with their collaborators,” JAMb said.
The examination board also added that another startling discovery was the fact that a substantial portion of the UTME application documents was composed of the bogus registration.
It noted that the unwholesome application had the singular effect of inflating the total statistical data of candidates’ registration that amounted to over 30 per cent of the 1.8 million that registered for the 2019 UTME.
“The board, in a bid to live up to its billings, has, therefore, resolved to set machinery in motion; to effect the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the unwholesome act, capable of subverting the sanctity of the entire examination process.”