New data released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) reveals that Anambra and Lagos states recorded the highest number of suspects involved in malpractices during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
During a press briefing at JAMB’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday, the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that 80 suspects are currently under police investigation for various examination-related offenses.
He highlighted the emergence of new fraud techniques during both registration and examination phases.
According to Oloyede, some of the methods included identity and biometric fraud—such as candidates using combined thumbprints with impersonators at registration points, often in collusion with personnel at some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
Other tactics included double registration and attempts by candidates to substitute themselves with others during the exam.
Anambra State topped the list, with 14 suspects arrested—13 for impersonation and one for a mismatch in the identification photo.
Lagos followed with nine suspects involved in impersonation, spying, and unauthorized possession of mobile phones.
Other states with notable numbers of suspects include Delta (eight for impersonation), Kano (seven for impersonation and mobile phone possession), and Kaduna (six for similar offenses).
Rivers State recorded six suspects for impersonation and possession of phones and calculators, while Ebonyi and Enugu had five suspects each, mostly for impersonation.
Prof. Oloyede also recounted an unusual case involving a blind candidate who hired another blind individual, an undergraduate, to impersonate him during the examination.
The 2025 UTME results were officially released on Friday.
Out of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the examination, more than 1.5 million scored below 200 out of a possible 400—a benchmark often used to gauge average performance.
The UTME assesses candidates in four subjects, with Use of English being mandatory.
The other three subjects are selected based on the candidate’s intended course of study.