JAMB Uncovers Over 4,200 Cases of Fingerprint Fraud, 192 AI-Driven Impersonations in 2025 UTME

JAMB Uncovers Over 4,200 Cases of Fingerprint Fraud, 192 AI-Driven Impersonations in 2025 UTME.

ABUJA, FCT – September 9, 2025 – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has received a startling report from its Special Committee on Examination Infractions, exposing a significant and sophisticated wave of technology-driven malpractice that plagued the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Presenting the findings in Abuja, the committee revealed that it had uncovered thousands of cases of advanced biometric fraud and, for the first time, hundreds of instances where Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used to facilitate impersonation, marking a new and challenging frontier in the fight for examination integrity.

A “Highly Organised Enterprise”: The Committee’s Shocking Findings

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Jake Epelle, described the scale and nature of the infractions as a “highly organised, technologically driven, and culturally normalized enterprise” that has deeply undermined the admissions process.

The report detailed several specific, high-tech infractions:

4,251 cases of “finger blending,” a biometric fraud technique where candidates manipulate the fingerprint recognition system to allow for impersonation.

192 instances of AI-assisted image morphing, where candidates’ photographs were digitally altered to match those of their impersonators.

1,878 false declarations of albinism, a tactic likely used to gain special examination conditions.

Numerous other cases of credential forgery, multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and solicitation schemes.

A Crucial Distinction: Registrar Clarifies On-Site vs. Registration Fraud.

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While the report highlighted widespread infractions, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, provided an important clarification. He distinguished between the numerous fraudulent activities that occur during the registration process and the actual malpractice that takes place inside the examination hall.

“When it comes to the real exam malpractice that we know, this year alone the Board recorded about 140 of them, which is still relatively low,” Professor Oloyede stated. This suggests that while JAMB’s pre-examination screening is flagging a high number of fraudulent applications, its on-site security measures remain relatively effective at preventing widespread cheating during the test itself.

The Mandate: Probing 6,458 Withheld Results

The 23-member Special Committee on Examination Infractions was inaugurated on August 18, 2025, with a three-week mandate to investigate the cases of 6,458 candidates whose 2025 UTME results are currently withheld on suspicion of malpractice. The committee’s recommendations are expected to guide new JAMB policies on biometric security, AI misuse detection, and stricter penalties for offenders.

Government Responds with Tough Sanctions

In response to the growing threat of tech-driven cheating, the Federal Government has already approved tougher sanctions. The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has directed a three-year ban for any student caught engaging in examination malpractice across all national exams, including JAMB, WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB.

Crucially, this ban will be enforced using the student’s National Identification Number (NIN), making it difficult for offenders to re-register and evade the sanction. Schools and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres found to be complicit in malpractice also risk being derecognised for several years. JAMB has vowed to review the committee’s findings and incorporate them into its processes to stay ahead of the evolving tactics of examination fraud.

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