2025 UTME resit: JAMB withdraws over 3,000 results

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has withdrawn the results of over 3,000 candidates who participated in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) resit, citing confirmed cases of examination malpractice.

In an official statement released on Sunday by Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, the board disclosed that the decision followed an extensive investigation into widespread fraudulent practices during the rescheduled UTME.

These irregularities were discovered after the board had to conduct a resit for 336,845 candidates due to technical glitches at several exam centers.

Among the rescheduled candidates, 21,082 were notably absent, though JAMB did not provide any explanation for the high absenteeism rate.

Central to the board’s concerns was a disturbing scheme involving the deliberate disruption of sitting arrangements, allowing professional mercenaries to swap places with legitimate candidates. These imposters, who had themselves registered for the exam, were able to access the exam halls undetected. JAMB noted that many of these schemes were orchestrated with the assistance of undergraduate students from Nigerian tertiary institutions.

“As investigation progresses, all candidates implicated in these unwholesome activities will have their results withdrawn as soon as incontrovertible proofs are established, even if the results have already been released,” the statement read.

JAMB reiterated its commitment to maintaining the integrity of its examination process, stressing that over 3,000 candidates had already been identified as either direct participants or beneficiaries of this organized fraud.

The board also responded to claims that some high-scoring candidates in the canceled sessions wanted to retain their initial results.

It refuted these claims, clarifying that only a handful of candidates scored up to 217 in the affected sessions, and that 99% of those who sat the canceled exams scored below 200 marks. This, JAMB said, invalidates the suggestion that many high performers were disadvantaged.

All valid results have now been released, except those of candidates found guilty of infractions or those scheduled for mop-up exams. JAMB emphasized that the withdrawal of results is ongoing and affected candidates are being notified via SMS, email, and their JAMB profiles.

This development follows a prior admission by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who acknowledged technical failures during the 2025 UTME. He explained that a malfunction in one of the board’s two operational vehicles led to flawed exam content in certain zones, notably impacting 379,997 candidates across Lagos and South-East centers. These issues prompted the board to reschedule the affected exams.

JAMB reaffirmed its dedication to a fair, merit-based admissions process and promised continued collaboration with security agencies to prosecute offenders and prevent future breaches.