- Safiu Kehinde
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has faulted reports emerging from the kidnap incident allegedly involving registered candidates of the ongoing 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
NPO Reported that 14 passengers travelling in a Benue Links Nigeria Limited bus, were on Wednesday night, abducted along the Makurdi–Otukpo Road.
“It is unfortunate that people were kidnapped but linking them directly to JAMB without evidence complicates security efforts.
“The focus should be on ensuring their safe return,” he said.
He described the exercise as largely successful, noting that only a few centres experienced issues, mainly related to power supply and minor technical faults.
“Like any human activity, there will be challenges, but they have been minimal.
“Out of about 980 centres nationwide, we have recorded issues in only about 16 centres,” he said.
The registrar added that despite initial concerns, the board had successfully conducted examinations for over 1.7 million candidates within three days.
He commended the smooth conduct of the examination process, describing it as “superb,” and praised the collaboration of stakeholders, including vice-chancellors, rectors and other academic officials serving as proctors.
Addressing public concerns over early arrival times for candidates, the registrar clarified that examinations do not start at 6:30 a.m., but candidates are required to arrive early for accreditation.
Oloyede explained that the board had adjusted the examination schedule from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in response to feedbacks, though the change had led to longer waiting periods for some candidates.
He also criticised widespread misconceptions about the role of UTME in admissions, stressing that it is only one of the criteria, alongside O’Level requirements.
Oloyede warned candidates and parents against engaging with fraudsters offering “exam runs” or score manipulation.
According to him, JAMB has intensified efforts to track and prosecute such individuals, revealing that several suspects were already facing prosecution for exam malpractices.
He cited a case where a suspect, while in custody, continued to defraud unsuspecting parents by promising to upgrade candidates’ scores.
“We have our own mechanisms to detect such fraud. Those who attempt shortcuts will be identified and sanctioned,” the registrar said.
Oloyede urged the public to report fraudulent platforms on social media, while commending security agencies for their support in tackling examination malpractices.
He reaffirmed JAMB’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the examination process and ensuring credible admissions into tertiary institutions.