Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that over 80% of candidates eligible for the nationwide mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) failed to turn up for the exam.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, attributed the low turnout to intensified security measures targeting impersonators and exam cheats.
“We felt everybody, who missed the exam should be given the opportunity. However, given the intelligence we have gathered in conjunction with the DSS and the police, we were really prepared to apprehend those who will be impersonating,” Oloyede said.
Oloyede warned that suspected impersonators who failed to take the exam after alleging exclusion from the main UTME would not escape accountability.
“They registered with their name. They have schools. They have NINs and their phone numbers. The security agencies are capable of picking them. Infact, a number of them have already been picked up,” he said.
The JAMB boss also hinted at investigating and prosecuting parents found financing examination malpractice for their children.
Meanwhile, 14 candidates have already been apprehended for presenting forged certificates for Direct Entry admissions.
Oloyede revealed that some individuals attempted to cheat by falsely declaring themselves as albino to exploit facial recognition vulnerabilities.
“We have never had even up to 100 albinos any year, but this year, we have 1,787 albinos,” he said.
