Ishaq Oloyede, registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), says the examination body has uncovered a syndicate allegedly deploying artificial intelligence to compromise the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration process in favour of certain candidates.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, Oloyede disclosed that several members of the group have been arrested and are currently under investigation.
According to him, a significant number of the candidates who engaged the syndicate are underage, with many reportedly pushed by their parents beyond their academic readiness.
Oloyede revealed that approximately 38,000 underage candidates registered for the 2026 UTME. Of that number, about 100 were identified as having received assistance from the syndicate during registration.
He said the board has forwarded recommendations to Tunji Alausa, minister of education, seeking the cancellation of the affected candidates’ registrations.
The JAMB registrar also disclosed that three senior officials of the board have been recommended for dismissal after being found to have collaborated in undermining the system.
He added that two additional officials, alongside a staff member of Ahmadu Bello University, are currently facing criminal prosecution for actions deemed harmful to the integrity of the examination body.
Oloyede said members of the syndicate remain under investigation and would soon be subjected to criminal prosecution.
“Parents and their children are willing collaborators and cannot be said to be innocent,” Oloyede said.
“We have made recommendations to the minister of education to cancel their registration; there are about 100 of them.
“This incident cuts across the country, in at least 25 states. We also have three proprietor of schools who are in custody for aiding and abeting examination malpractices.”
He commended security agencies for their support, insisting that JAMB is well-equipped to tackle attempts to compromise its systems.
“We are ahead of them. The only problem we have is public opinion.”