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Tag: exam malpractices

  • Fed Govt unveils measures to curb exam malpractices

    Fed Govt unveils measures to curb exam malpractices

    The Federal Government has announced new measures to curb malpractices during the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.

    Among the modalities announced by Education Minister Tunji Alausa and Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Ahmed is the introduction of enhanced question randomisation and serialisation mechanisms.

    The government said the measures are part of ongoing reforms to strengthen credibility, transparency, and public confidence in the examination assessment system.

    Alausa and Ahmed said in a statement yesterday in Abuja by the Press and Public Relations Director in the ministry, Boriowo Folasade, that the government was intensifying oversight and deploying targeted strategies to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.

    They explained that while all candidates will answer the same examination questions, the sequencing and arrangement will differ for each candidate.

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    This, according to them, will ensure that every student writes a unique version of the examination and hence a reduction in the chances of collusion.

    They also reaffirmed the ministry’s strict policy prohibiting the transfer of candidates at the Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) level.

    The ministers said the prohibition, already communicated through an official circular, will be rigorously enforced to prevent last-minute school changes often associated with examination malpractice.

    The statement reads: “To further ensure transparency, new national Continuous Assessment(CA) guidelines have been developed for immediate implementation.

    “All examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, NBAIS, etc) must strictly follow the standardised submission deadlines for each academic period.

    “The submission windows are first term CA, January; second term CA, April, and third term CA, August.”

    The statement added : “These timelines are mandatory and designed to ensure consistency, data integrity, and prompt processing of Continuous Assessment records across the country.

    “In addition, the Federal Ministry of Education is introducing a unique Examination Learners’ Identity Number for all candidates. This identifier will enable effective tracking of learners throughout the examination process, strengthen monitoring and accountability, and support long-term reforms in assessment, certification, and data management.” 

    The ministers assured stakeholders that examination administration will be conducted under strengthened supervision and coordination with relevant examination bodies to ensure strict compliance with established guidelines and ethical standards.

    They emphasised that these measures reflected the Federal Government’s resolve to conduct examinations that are credible, fair, and reflective of global best practices, while addressing Nigeria’s unique educational realities.

    The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with all examination bodies, state governments, school administrators, parents, and candidates to ensure the successful implementation of these strategies and the smooth conduct of the 2026 examinations nationwide.

  • ‘Exam malpractices’: Prosecution raises charges against Adeleke, others

    The prosecution in alleged examination malpractices charge against Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun State) and four others has raised the number of counts in the charge – from four to seven.

    The five defendants were re-arraigned yesterday before a Federal High Court in Abuja on the amended charge to which they pleaded not guilty.

    Charged with Adeleke, in the charge filed by the police, are: Sikiru Adeleke, the senator’s relation; Alhaji Aregbesola Muftau, the head teacher of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School); Gbadamosi Ojo, the school’s Registrar and Dare Samuel Olutope, a teacher in the school.

    The prosecution initially accused the defendants of engaging in examination malpractices by impersonating and registering Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School in Ojo-Aro, Osun State, for the National Examination Council (NECO) June/July 2017 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in February 2017.

    Besides the counts, the defendants are further accused of fraudulently registering Ademola and Sikiru Adeleke for the examination “and pursuant to the abetment awarded them seven credits, one pass and five credits and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 10(a) and punishable under Section 3 of the Examination Malpractices Act, Cap. E15, LFN, 2004.”

    The two Adelekes – the first and second defendants – are equally accused of falsely presenting themselves “as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School when they fraudulently registered as internal students of the school in the June/July 2017 NECO and, having registered, conspired with unknown persons, now at large, to write the examination for them”.

    The prosecution said the alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under the various provisions of the Examination Malpractices Act, Cap. E15, LFN, 2004.

    After their re-arraignment yesterday, Justice I. E. Ekwo asked the defendants to remain on the bail earlier granted them.

    The judge adjourned till February 12 for commencement of trial.

    The defendants were earlier arraigned on October 31.

     

  • Exam malpractices: Fed Govt charges Sen Adeleke, four others

    •Senator hires IGP’s lawyer

    The Federal Government has charged Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun West) and four others before the Federal High Court, Abuja with alleged  examination malpractices.

    Adeleke and others were accused, in a four-count charge filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of fraudulently registering as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro, Osun State to enable them sit for the National Examination Council (NECO) examination of June/July 2017.

    Named with Adeleke, in the charge are: Sikiru Adeleke, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau (the principal of the school), Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (school Registrar) and Dare Samuel Olutope (the teacher).

    Adeleke was absent when the case was called yesterday.

    His lawyer, Alex Izinyon (SAN), told the court that his client took ill on Friday and had been stooling.

    Izinyon said a copy of a medical report was available to that effect. He said Adeleke suddenly took ill at the weekend, but was getting better.

    He sought a postponement of the arraignment.

    Prosecution lawyer, Simon Lough, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said he was in receipt of the medical report on the health condition of the 1st defendant (Adeleke).

    He said he was not averse to a short adjournment as sought by Izinyon. He said the defendants were released on the administrative bail granted them by the police.

    Lawyers to the other defendants also agreed to a short adjournment, following which Justice I. E. Ekwo adjourned till October 31 for arraignment.

    Justice Ekwo said: “The prosecution is ordered to ensure the defendants are in court at the next date, to take their plea.”

    Izinyon has represented  the IGP in some major cases. He represented the IGP in the cases against his invitation by the Senate over Senator Dino Melaye’s trial and the Offa robbery case in Abuja.

    In the first count preferred against the defendants, the prosecution alleged that the five defendants “conspired to commit felony, to wit: examination malpractices, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10 of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004”.

    In count 2, the prosecution alleged that the three members of staff of the school acted in concert by aiding and abetting “the commission of examination malpractice by personation” when they allegedly “registered Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke” while knowing or having “reasons to believe that they are not students of the school”.

    The alleged offence is said to be contrary to Section 9(1) of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.

    In count three, the two Adelekes were accused of acting in concert, and “personated as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School when you fraudulently registered as students of the school in the June/July, 2017 NECO”.

    The offence is said to be contrary to Section 3(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.

    The fourth count accused the three members of staff of the school of “acting in concert” and while “saddled with the responsibilities of registering students of your school in the June/July 2017 NECO examination, breached that duty by registering Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke as students of your school in the June/July 2017 NECO examination when you know or had reasons to believe that they are not students of the school”.

    The fourth count was said to be contrary to Section 10(a) and punishable under Section 3(2) of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap E15 LFN 2004.

  • Exam malpractices: FG charges Adeleke, four others

    The Federal Government has charged Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun West) and four others before the Federal High Court, Abuja for allegedly engaging in examination malpractices.

    Adeleke and others were accused, in a four-count charge filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of fraudulently, through personation, registering as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Ojo-Aro Osun State to enable them sit for the National Examination Council (NECO) examination of June/July 2017.

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    Named with Adeleke, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/156/2018, are: Sikiru Adeleke, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau (Principal of the school), Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (school Registrar) and Dare Samuel Olutope (teacher).

    They are to be arraigned on October 31 before Justice I. E. Ekwo.

  • How to stop exam malpractices, by don

    A don, Prof. Adebayo Lawal of the Department of Arts Education, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, has urged the Federal Government to ensure that mother tongue is used for teaching in primary and secondary schools.

    Lawal, the guest speaker at the 18th Annual Foundation Lecture of the Fafunwa Educational Foundation (FEF), held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, said the use of mother tongue, as advocated by the late Prof. Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa, the former minister of Education and Youth Development, would boost educational development.

    He said: ‘If we want to develop as a nation, mother tongue should be used to teach pupils in primary and secondary schools. When you learn in local languages, you learn better and faster.

    “Exam malpractice is high today because pupils do not understand what they are being taught. English language, instead of mother tongue, is used to teach subjects, and this is wrong.

    “Most pupils do not understand the subjects they are taught. Some cram to pass exams, while the dishonest ones resort to exam malpractices.

    “To stop cheating in the exams conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), mother tongue should be used to teach in primary and secondary schools, to build a solid educational foundation.”

    The Chairman, Academic Committee of FEF, Prof. Kayode Alao, said the foundation organised lectures yearly to promote excellence in the education industry, adding that this year’s lecture was titled: “Mother Tongue Instruction and the Educational Development of the Nigerian Child.”