The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has identified 21 candidates who attempted to secure university admissions using fake IJMB (Interim Joint Matriculation Board) results during the 2023 admissions process.
According to a policy document obtained in Abuja, JAMB noted that these candidates were recommended for admission by various institutions. Notably, 12 out of the 21 candidates were recommended by Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
“JAMB discovered that 21 candidates who presented fake IJMB results were recommended during the 2023 admissions. Their admissions were not approved,” the document revealed. “Twelve of the recommendations came from ABU, Zaria—an audacious act. These recommendations were possible because certificate screening was conducted after registration. Five institutions were involved in these recommendations. JAMB insists that all certificates must bear the signature of the Head of the institution, whether it’s the Vice-Chancellor, Provost, or Rector.”
In 2021, JAMB introduced the Nigerian Post-Secondary Education Data System (N-PEDS) verification platform to authenticate IJMB and JUPEB (Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board) results. This move followed a crackdown on irregularities and fraudulent activities related to these examinations, led by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education.
JAMB emphasized in its bulletin that as the moderator of these examinations, it is crucial to take firm action against such malpractice. “These proactive measures, along with others in the pipeline, are essential to ensuring that the progress made in the education sector, particularly in the examination sub-sector, is not undermined by unscrupulous individuals who do not have Nigeria’s best interests at heart,” the statement concluded.
