The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned candidates preparing for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to avoid all forms of examination malpractice or face prosecution.
Registrar of the Board, Ishaq Oloyede, urged candidates to work diligently and earn their results honestly, stressing that there is no shortcut to success.
While reviewing cases of candidates currently facing legal consequences for offences such as impersonation and result falsification, the Registrar disclosed that more than five candidates from the 2025 UTME have already been convicted for various examination infractions.
He further noted that malpractice has become increasingly risky, as the Board has deployed advanced technology capable of detecting and apprehending offenders instantly.
JAMB reiterated that it would not entertain pleas for leniency, emphasizing that adequate warnings have already been issued.
Candidates were advised to focus on their studies and avoid dishonest practices that could jeopardize their future.
JAMB Issues Ultimatum to Centres Over Surveillance Compliance
In a related development, JAMB has directed all accredited centres participating in its registration and examination processes to ensure that their surveillance cameras are fully accessible and visible from the Board’s control room at its headquarters.
According to the Registrar, any of the 989 accredited centres where activities cannot be monitored in real time risk having such activities declared invalid.He added that affected centres may also forfeit payment for their services.
The directive is part of efforts to enhance transparency and enable the Board to effectively monitor all registration and examination processes nationwide.
JAMB revealed that during the recent registration exercise, over 150 centres were not visible from its control room, leading to denial of payment to those centres.
Although the Board initially considered cancelling all registrations conducted during the affected periods, it opted instead for further scrutiny using an additional layer of remote monitoring.
The Board maintained that it continues to conduct live monitoring across all centres to detect and prevent malpractice and other unethical practices.