The National Examinations Council (NECO) has intensified efforts to combat exam malpractices, particularly those driven by internet fraud and the leaking of exam questions via WhatsApp.
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Mr. Ahmed Bagwai, Chairman of NECO’s Annual Posting Calendar Implementation Committee (APCIC), disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Bagwai revealed that the council has begun legal procedures to secure a court order aimed at blocking phone lines identified as being involved in the dissemination of leaked exam materials.
He said a motion ex parte had already been prepared with additional input expected before filing suits at the Suleja Division of the Niger State High Court.
According to him, NECO also operates an Examination Intelligence Committee, working in collaboration with agencies such as the ICPC, EFCC, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
“These efforts have made it more difficult for fraudsters to access live question papers a day or two before the exam.
“However, leaks persist just hours before scheduled papers.
“Distributions are tightly monitored from the printing press to custodian points, but we are still identifying suspicious patterns at the non-daily custodian level, possibly supervisors,” Bagwai noted.
He, therefore, called on the public, media, and security agencies to work together to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.
However, while monitoring the ongoing NECO exams, NAN observed that dedicated WhatsApp channels have become marketplaces for leaked exam content.
Questions are sold for as little as ₦500 to ₦3,500 via Fintech platforms, reaching candidates across different states.
Reports said teachers and supervisors aide the malpractice by taking bribes from students and parents.
An Ibadan-based teacher, who prefers to be anonymous, confirmed the existence of such channels and expressed concern that even joint state entrance exams are no longer immune.
“Social media, societal values, and parental complicity are fuelling the crisis,” said the teacher.
The teacher, therefore, called for stiffer penalties and community vigilance, emphasising that the crisis has become a threat to the future of education in Nigeria.
“It has become a booming underground business,” another source disclosed.
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