KEY POINTS
- JAMB released 279 UTME results it had withheld over suspected malpractice.
- Investigators cleared the candidates after finding no case against them.
- The board says probes continue at centers linked to suspicious activity.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released 279 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results that it earlier withheld over suspected malpractice. Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede leads the board, and his team approved the release after a detailed review of cases flagged during and after the exam. Meanwhile, JAMB said it would keep investigating centers linked to suspicious activity.
Why the board withheld the results
JAMB flagged the 279 results during live monitoring of test centers. Specifically, the board paused them while investigators examined adverse reports from several sites. However, the review cleared many candidates because officials found no prima facie case against them. The board also canceled some results outright after it confirmed clear evidence of cheating.
Dr Fabian Benjamin, the board’s Public Communication Adviser, explained the decision in a signed statement. “The release follows ongoing investigations into cases of suspected examination malpractice,” he said. Moreover, he noted that the board released results where it found no case against affected candidates, while it scrapped others where investigators confirmed misconduct.
Investigations continue at flagged centers
JAMB stressed that results from centers under scrutiny would stay on hold for now. Additionally, the board said it would hold back any candidate whom its live monitoring team or adverse reports had named, pending the outcome of the probe. Indeed, the board warned that it would cancel the result of any candidate found culpable after the ongoing review.
The clampdown reflects a wider push to protect the credibility of the UTME. Now, the board screens centers in real time and acts quickly on suspicious patterns. Consequently, candidates and parents face tighter checks than they did in earlier cycles.
A tougher stance on exam fraud
JAMB has steadily tightened its anti-fraud systems in recent years. Moreover, the board now leans on biometric verification and live center monitoring to spot irregular results. While these tools catch genuine cheats, they sometimes flag honest candidates too, which is why the board runs a review before it cancels any score. Therefore, the latest clearance of 279 results shows that the appeal process can work in a candidate’s favor.
Education stakeholders have long urged JAMB to balance speed with fairness. However, the board insists that no clean candidate should suffer because of another person’s misconduct. Additionally, it has encouraged candidates who suspect a wrongful hold on their results to follow up through official channels rather than agents. Many candidates rely on the UTME for a single shot at admission each year, and a delayed result can cost them a place. Therefore, the board says it tries to clear honest candidates as soon as the evidence allows.
How candidates can check their status
JAMB advised candidates with pending results to confirm their status without delay. Specifically, they should send “UTMERESULT” to either 55019 or 66019. Also, candidates must use the same phone number that they registered with, or the request will fail.
The board urged patience among families who still await outcomes. However, it gave no firm timeline for the remaining investigations. Together, the release and the continued probe signal that JAMB wants both fairness for cleared candidates and firm action against fraud.
