The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has withheld the results of 39,834 candidates over alleged involvement in examination malpractices during the recently concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This was announced by the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during the official release of the UTME results in Abuja on Friday.
According to him, 80 individuals are currently under investigation for examination-related offences, with Anambra State recording the highest number of suspects — 14 in total. He added that 467 underage candidates scored above the minimum benchmark, while 50 were found to be involved in examination fraud.
A total of 2,030,862 candidates registered for the 2025 UTME, which was held across 882 CBT centres, each monitored by 10 invigilators of different categories. Out of this number, 71,705 were absent, and 1,957,000 candidates were verified to have sat for the examination.
Prof. Oloyede revealed that 1,426 results are currently under scrutiny and processing. He explained that 96 results were withheld due to examination malpractice, a decrease from 123 recorded in the previous year.
He also disclosed that 2,157 candidates experienced fingerprint rejections due to suspected registration infractions. He noted that this figure was far above acceptable margins and is being investigated. He said the 2025 UTME revealed new trends in registration and examination processes, including identity fraud and biometric fraud involving combined thumbprints.
Other infractions reported included impersonation at the point of registration, with the active involvement of some CBT centres, as well as double registrations and attempted substitution of self by candidates. He added that 244 candidates were caught engaging in “WhatsApp runs,” where they subscribed to rogue groups promising leaked questions. Their results have been withheld, and in some cases, entire syndicates colluded with CBT centres to register candidates using multiple fingerprints.
As a result, 3,656 candidates with extraneous fingerprints have had their results withheld, and the implicated CBT centres will face sanctions. The affected centres include Tigh Technologies Limited; Sascon International School, Maitama, Abuja; Wudil Computer Information Technology, Wudil, Kano State; and Penta M & Centre 2, Tambuwal LGA, Sokoto, Sokoto State.
The registrar also noted that 80 suspects are being interrogated by the police for their involvement in examination malpractices, and most of them will be prosecuted. He said the board identified extraneous fingerprints in the registration details of some candidates, raising concerns about potential impersonation strategies. A total of 3,656 candidates fall within this category and their results have been withheld.
Speaking on underage candidates, Prof. Oloyede said that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, approved the opportunity for candidates aged 16 and below to demonstrate their academic abilities. At a previous policy meeting, stakeholders had agreed to raise the minimum age for tertiary education admission from 16 to 18 years starting from 2025, but the minister upheld the 16-year minimum age while halting the proposed increase.
The registrar clarified that JAMB restricted registration to candidates who met the stipulated age requirement but made provisions for exceptionally gifted candidates to prove their capabilities. A total of 41,027 underage candidates registered with the assurance that they would face consequences if they failed to meet the required scores.
Only 467 of these candidates met the minimum UTME score and are currently being processed for the remaining three stages of assessment. The successful ones have been notified, while those who did not meet the threshold have been informed of their ineligibility.
In a breakdown of the performance of underage candidates, 467 scored 320 and above, 667 scored between 300 and 319, 4,665 scored between 250 and 299, 12,357 scored between 200 and 249, 15,978 scored between 160 and 199, 5,528 scored between 140 and 159, 5,541 scored between 120 and 139, 30 scored between 100 and 119, while 15 candidates scored below 100.
JAMB said 50 underage candidates were implicated in a cheating syndicate. The registrar also stressed that the board remains committed to supporting persons with disabilities aspiring to pursue tertiary education. For the 2025 UTME, 501 candidates with special needs were successfully examined by the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) across 11 centres nationwide. However, one of them was also involved in impersonation.
Four centres have been delisted and blacklisted for technical deficiencies and substandard performance. JAMB promised to release a detailed list of all blacklisted centres and their offences soon.
Despite the challenges, Prof. Oloyede described the 2025 UTME as one of the most successful in recent years. He reiterated the board’s zero-tolerance policy on malpractice and assured of continuous innovation to uphold the credibility of public examinations.
To check the 2025 UTME results, candidates are to send “UTMERESULT” as a single word via SMS to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number used during registration. He added that result printing would be made available later.
