The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)

  • Court sentences ‘Professor’ to six months for impersonating daughter

    Court sentences ‘Professor’ to six months for impersonating daughter

    A Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has sentenced ‘Professor’ Jide Josiah Jisos to six months in prison for impersonation during the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    The sentence was handed down by Chief Magistrate Hon Justice Folashade Oyekan on October 24, 2024.

    Jisos was apprehended by officials from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) while monitoring the UTME at Brix Academy in Abuja.

    According to a statement from JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Jisos falsely presented himself as a representative of a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the intention of overseeing the examination.

    Read Also: Healthaid Charity holds immediate life support training

    Jisos was arrested and handed to security personnel for further investigation after he failed to provide satisfactory answers to the JAMB officials. 

    During interrogation, Jisos admitted that he had no affiliation with any NGO and entered the examination hall to assist his daughter in taking the UTME.

    In addition to the six-month prison sentence, he was given the option to pay a fine of N100,000.

  • Reschedule UTME for us, candidates disqualified by biometrics beg JAMB

    Some 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates affected by biometric verification glitches have appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to re-conduct the examinations for them.

    JAMB used biometrics for the examinations that held between April 11- 17 with about 1.8 million registered candidates.

    The UTME is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective undergraduates to gain admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

    The Biometrics Verification Machine was introduced by the board in an attempt to get rid of the numerous forms of examination malpractice.

    During registration, candidates’ 10 fingers were captured and used as clearance to admit them into the examination hall.

    But it was discovered some candidates, on getting to exam centres, were disqualified because the biometric verification was unable to capture their fingers.

    They narrated how the biometric verification process disqualified from writing, begging JAMB to reschedule the exams for them.

    A candidate, Olusolanle Tolulope, from Ekiti, narrated how the biometric refused to capture her finger, leading to her inability to write the exams.

    According to her: “I registered for the exam at FUOYE ICT and when I got to the centre, I couldn’t resolve my biometric verification issue.

    “I did my fingerprints and my information didn’t appear on the system. So, i was unable to do the exam.

    “We were told to fill a form that day and since then we haven’t gotten a response. We even went to their office in Ekiti, submitted our slip and they told us they will call us and since then they haven’t done anything about it.”

    She stated the development has automatically disqualified her from gaining admission for FUOYE Pre-Degree programme after she expended a lot of money.

    Read Also: JAMB withdraws UTME results of four candidates

    Another affected candidate, Okeeya Iyanuoluwa Michael, from Itapa-Ekiti, also shared how he was unable to write the exams.

    “On that fateful day when we went for the exam at Ijero-Ekiti, the biometric failed. About three of their candidates were affected, including me.

    “We tried doing it again but it kept on failing. So, we were asked to fill a form and go home that they will call us.“

    He went on: “Since then we filled the form and we haven’t seen any call. I contacted those at the JAMB office but they said they have called all those affected and I don’t know why I was not called.  I sent a message to jamb e-mail and they haven’t replied.

    “My hope of gaining admission this year is gone. The Federal Government should contact JAMB so they will do the exam for us”.

    Ogedengbe Ifeoluwa Solomon, an affected student from Ibadan, also expressed sadness over his inability to sit for the exams.

    Mother of an affected candidate from Lagos, Mrs. Okeeya, said: “My child registered for the examination at an accredited centre and when she called me she was unable to do the exam. I felt bad.

    “Since then there has been no solution, if she is unable to write the examination that means the money we paid for pre-degree will waste.”

    She pleaded with JAMB and government to intervene and remedy the situation.

    When the Board’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dr Fabian Benjamin was contacted, ruled out the possible of rescheduling examinations for the affected candidates.

    He stated there was no how the fingerprint verification could have failed.

    The biometrics, he said, was designed to curb multiple registrations and malpractices among candidates.

    “We have a rule. We introduce that grand norm because it was one of the easiest platforms for people to cheat.

    “What some of these candidates do is to register a multiple time and create this incidence of biometrics challenges and call for reschedule of examinations.

    “They would have written previously and then when you reschedule them at the end they do another examination.

    “First to mitigate any challenge we said capture your 10 fingers. We are of the opinion that if your first finger has problem, the second, third, fourth, sixth will go through and we capture ten of their fingers.

    “And we said no biometrics no examinations. You must be verified biometrically otherwise on no condition would you be allowed to sit for examination.

    “We have 1.8 million candidates and we are sure that over 1.79 candidates were biometrically verified.

    “So if 10 candidates out of this number for one reason or the other which we believe is not from us could not be verified, we will not allow them to sit for the exam. Because we can’t break our rule”

  • JAMB withdraws UTME results of four candidates

    THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has withdrawn the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of four candidates.

    The candidates include: Adah Eche with   Registration Number 97512230IB, Taiwo Abisola Omowumi with  Registration Number 97049254GG, Vincent Onyinyechi Prisca with  Registration Number 96531098BC and Sofodun Afolasade Zainab    with  Registration Number  96634599GA.

    JAMB’s Head of Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin made this known in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

    He said the candidates were involved in attempted fake JAMB result.

    “The Board therefore withdraws and invalidates the results of the four candidates found to have been involved in the illicit attempt to fake JAMB result.

    “No effort would be spared in identifying and sanctioning any candidate who attempts to falsify results of JAMB-organised examinations (UTME and others) and whoever collaborates or patronises such candidates would also face similar consequence,” the statement said.

    Eche was apprehended on Monday by the board for being in possession of a fake UTME result.

    He had attempted to upgrade his original UTME score of 153 to 290 with the help of a professional examination fraudster.

    According to JAMB, apart from being in possession of a fake UTME result, he was also working with the above- named candidates to have their scores inflated as well.

    Meanwhile, the board said it had released the results of 3, 736 who have been cleared of any infraction.

  • 2019 UTME: JAMB remits N5bn to FG’s account

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it remitted N5 billion to the Federal Government purse after the conduct of its 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    This is contained in the board’s weekly bulletin, tagged signed by the JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, on Monday in Lagos.

    Benjamin explained later in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the Federal Government gave back N2 billion out of the N5 billion to the board to enhance its operations.

    “The board returned N5 billion to the Federal Government, but out of that amount, the board was given N2 billion to further enhance its operations,” he said.

    Meanwhile, some 2019 UTME candidates have alleged challenges in accessing their results through telephone as advised by JAMB.

    JAMB released the results on Saturday and directed candidates to use the same telephone numbers they used in vending the pins for the examination registration documents to access their results by sending RESULT to a code – 55019.

    NAN reports that, of the over 1.8 million candidates who registered for the examination, a total of 1,792,719 had their results released by the board.

    The board withheld results of 34,120 candidates over alleged examination malpractice, while results of 15,145 candidates are undergoing further clarification, as in the case of identical twins and siblings, for example.

    Read Also: PHOTOS: JAMB releases 2019 UTME results

    A parent, Mrs Bridget Otuagha, told NAN that his son had yet to get the result in spite of many efforts.

    According to her, the candidate followed the process many times without success.

    “I am worried about this whole thing. My son has been trying to get his result since Saturday to no avail.

    “He has been sending this RESULT to the said code, up until this morning, and there has been no response to that effect.

    “JAMB should see if there is another way,” she told NAN.

    Another concerned parent, Mrs Florence Ibem, also told NAN that her son had the same issue.

    “Since they released the results, we have not been able to access his score through the telephone number we used in acquiring the registration pin.

    “After sending RESULT to the said code severally, there was still no result. This is disturbing and frustrating.

    “Something should be done, and urgently too. Even if it is withheld or cancelled, I think we deserve to know,” she said.

    When contacted, Benjamin, the board’s Head, Media and Information, apologised to the affected candidates on behalf of the board.

    According to him, the challenge was from the service providers.

    He said that the board had summoned the service providers for a meeting on the issue.

    “We have just had a meeting with the service providers and they assured us that they are working hard to get the issue addressed. In no distant time, such candidates should be able to access their results without any hitch.

    “We are just trying to ensure that all the candidates deserving of results should have firsthand information of their performances via their telephones.

    “After that, we will post the results on our website for candidates to go ahead and print,” he said.

  • Why we’ve not released UTME results, by JAMB

    The results of the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will be released as soon as reports from the 687 Computer Based Test centres used for the conduct of the examination are reviewed, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, has said.

    The board said the review of reports from these centres will be concluded on Monday or Tuesday.

    JAMB spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said this in an interview with our reporter on Monday in Abuja.

    He attributed the delay in releasing the results to fraudulent practices of some candidates who sat for the examination.

    Read Also: JAMB conducts UTME for 200 foreign candidates

    The 2019 UTME was conducted on April 11 – 17.

    According to him, some candidates have abused some of the innovations introduced by the boarding, leaving it to properly screen the UTME results to ensure that the board does not release the results of a compromised examination.

    He said: “We are comparing reports from the field and as soon as we finish either today or tomorrow, we will commence the process of releasing the results.

    “We are collecting reports from 687 centres. The results will be released as soon as we finish what we are doing.”

    Benjamin also said the board will investigate all issues of biometric failure during the conduct of the examination.

    There were reports of biometric verification challenge in some centres during the examination.

    He said the board would look into it as soon as it finishes releasing the UTME results to ensure that candidates with genuine biometric issues are not made to suffer.

    According to him, if a candidate could be captured during registration there is nothing stopping the fingerprints of such candidate from being captured during the examination.

    “As soon as we finish releasing results we will look into it and if there is any candidate with genuine reason we will see what we can do.

    “We will investigate all issues of biometric verification. If we find the cases to be genuine, we will do the needful,” he said.

  • JAMB to release 2019 UTME results from Monday

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has assured candidates of the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) that results would be ready from April 29.

    The Board’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dr Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Bwari.

    Benjamin said that screening of the results would soon be over and the result released.

    “We are still screening but hopefully, anytime next week, the results will be ready,” he said.

    Speaking also on the board’s readiness to screen results of UTME candidates from 2009 to 2018, Benjamin said this would begin after the release of the 2019 results.

    He said this was part of the board’s effort to address the issues of malpractice in the system.

    The board had stated that it would only release the 2019 UTME results after undergoing thorough screening to identify and apprehend examination cheats.

    The process would identify those involved in multiple registration through biometric capturing and also address group registration by some elite schools, who end up mixing candidate’s data.

    Read Also: JAMB cancels results in two centres in Abia

    The board said: “Normally, results are expected to be out within 24 to 48 hours as obtained in previous examinations held in 2017 and 2018.

    “However, the board does not want this to be business as usual.

    “Hence the programmed delay, which is part of its deliberate effort to properly scrutinize, identify and address all forms of examination malpractice.

    “The board will continue to act decisively with regards to any irregularity discovered even after results are released.

    “However, the board has made it a point of duty to screen all activities at all centres via CCTV recordings, to ensure that it does not release results of compromised examinations.”

    The board, while regretting all inconvenience caused in the process, reaffirmed its commitment to providing equal opportunity to all candidates in order to articulate their aspirations.

    JAMB said that effective from when it would officially release the results, all candidates can simply send RESULT, via SMS, to 55019 using the same number that was used for registration.

    The result, it said, would be replied as an SMS shortly after.

    This process, the board explained, was simplified to eliminate exploitation by business centres and cyber cafés who often take advantage of candidates.

    It also urged candidates to ignore all messages in circulation on how to check the results as they were all products of deceit.

    The 2019 UTME was conducted from April 11 to April 18 and over 1.8 million candidates registered for it.

    NAN

     

     

  • JAMB dismisses report on alleged reduction of UTME scores

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has described as fake, a trending report that scores of candidates who sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are being reduced.

    The board in a statement signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dr Fabian Benjamin, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said the report was false.

    The report had claimed that scores of candidates who sat for the UTME and were found wanting by the board were being reduced by 100 marks.

    JAMB said that an investigation carried out discovered that the fake news emanated from a gang who coordinated from a town called Igarra in Edo state with affiliates in Lagos and other states.

    The board described the act as fraudulent and meant to extort parents and candidates.

    “A gang being coordinated from a town called Igarra in Edo State with affiliates in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Abia, Anambra and Plateau states are circulating fake notice of impending reduction of UTME scores.

    “This is with intent to extort and defraud parents and candidates.

    “Candidates results would be received on their registered cell phones as soon as the ongoing scrutiny of the examination centers are completed and publicly announced.

    Read Also: EFCC probes N8.7billion fraud in JAMB

    “Only the fraudulent candidates or parents stand being defrauded on this matter,” the board said.

    NAN recalls that Benjamin had in an interview on Sunday nwarned candidates not be carried away by rumours and misleading information in some sections of the media, especially the social media.

    He also said that the board distances itself from such rumours about releasing results of candidates of the just concluded UTME and steps to check these results as being speculated.

    NAN reports that the 2019 UTME was conducted nationwide from April 11 to 18.

    More than 1.8 million candidates registered for the examination.

     

     

     

  • 2019 UTME: 390 visually impaired participate in four centres across Nigeria

    No fewer than 390 visually impaired candidates are participating in the ongoing 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

    The UTME for the visually impaired, which is taking place in four centres, started on Tuesday  and will be concluded on Wednesday, April 17.

    The Chairman, Equal Opportunity Group of JAMB, Prof. Peter Okebukola, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday at one of the venues of the examination at the University of Lagos.

    He told NAN  that the candidates were sitting for the examination in Abuja, Enugu, Kano and Lagos centres.

    NAN reports that the Equal Opportunity Group is made up of senior academics, including experts in special education and other relevant stakeholders.

    Giving a breakdown of figures of the visually challenged candidates that were sitting for the examination in the four centres across the country, Okebukola said 57 wrote the examination at the Abuja centre.

    He said that 59 others would write at Enugu, 135 at Kano and 139 others in Lagos.

    He noted that the subjects the candidates were examined on during the two-day examination included Agricultural Education, Arabic, Biology, Chemistry, Christian Religious Knowledge, Civic Education and Commerce.

    He said others include Economics, Geography, Government, Hausa, History, Igbo Language, Islamic Studies, Literature in English and Mathematics.

    Okebukola added that Music, Physics, Use of English and Yoruba completed the number of subjects.

    “The goal of the Prof. Is-shaq Oloyede-led JAMB is to ensure that no Nigerian who is eligible is prevented from taking the UTME regardless of any disability.

    “The JAMB boss holds the firm view that we must have a level playing field for all candidates.

    Read Also: Three arrested over UTME centre scam in Lagos

    “As long as the candidate is intellectually capable and meets the minimum conditions for admission in the university of choice, he or she should have a good chance of placement into any university,” he told NAN.

    The former National Universities Commission (NUC)’s Executive Secretary, added that this initiative by the board has been cited in the last two years in several countries as a good model for Africa.

    “So far, a respectable number of blind candidates processed through the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group have secured admission into Federal, State and Private Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education,’’ he said.

    He told NAN  that the candidates were still taking the examination through the dictation mode because the board was preparing and getting them familiarised with the mode of administering lectures in tertiary institutions.

    “We know where these persons are going to and so, we also want to assist them by ensuring that they get exposed to what awaits them ahead.

    “That being said, we have also been working towards migrating to their own kind of Computer Based Test (CBT) in a year or two.

    “We are currently test running the software on this platform but I can assure you that in another year or two, we will fully migrate,” Okebukola told NAN.

    Mrs Chioma Ohakwe, Proprietress, Bethesda Home for the Blind, Mushin in Lagos, said that the home presented of 25 candidates for this year’s examination.

    She said she was optimistic that her candidates would post impressive performance as the home had placed the candidates under intensive teaching, monitoring and supervision.

    “Infact, we had to hire eight new experts to handle and prepare these candidates.

    “We have been preparing them for this examination in the past one year.

    “We hired six professional teachers to coach them for this examination, one for just braille and another for computer, bringing the total of the new teachers to eight.

    “So, it is my expectation that they will post a better performance compared to their colleagues who sat for the examination in 2018,” Ohakwe told NAN.

    She pleaded with the board to fast track efforts in putting in place the CBT mode for the candidates, adding that they had complained of their inability to understand and get the words dictated clearly.

    Also, she said the candidates had lamented that it did not give them enough time to think before answering the questions.

    NAN reports that the 390 blind candidates are among the over 1.8 million candidates taking this year’s UTME which commenced on Thursday, April 11.

    NAN

  • WAEC, JAMB working on clashing timetables

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has said it will work out the clash between its timetable for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates and that of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which begins tomorrow.

    WAEC Nigeria’s Head of Public Affairs Mr. Demianus G. Ojijeogu told The Nation at its headquarters in Yaba, Lagos, that the council was in touch with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and would work out the clash “internally and administratively.”

    He promised that candidates would not have to sacrifice one examination for the other.

    “I assure you that no candidate would miss their exams.  We are working on it. The JAMB registrar is in touch with the WAEC head of National Office, and we will sort it out internally,” he said.

    JAMB Public Relations Officer, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the board had received assurance from WAEC that there would be no clash.

    Read Also: WAEC gives 1,050 tools to 21 schools

    “The registrar has reached out to the HNO and he was assured that there would be no clash,” he said.

    According to the WASSCE timetable, WAEC scheduled two subjects, Animal Husbandry (Alternative B) 2 (Essay) and Store Management 2 (Essay), for 9:30 am-11:30 am  – the same time some candidates would sit for  the UTME to hold in Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.

    Animal Husbandry (Alternative B) 1 Objective and Store Management 1 (Objective) was scheduled for 11:30 am-12:10 pm. A parent, Mr. Suleiman Olagunju, from Akure, expressed concern that his daughter was to sit for Animal Husbandry same time as her UTME tomorrow.

    He said: “I called the JAMB office and was told they were aware and would do something about it.  But till now nothing has been done.  It was JAMB that rescheduled its examination because of the elections that caused this clash.  WAEC timetable for the examination is fixed.”

    The UTME is to last for one week.  WAEC has scheduled practical sessions for about 20 subjects between Monday, April 15 and Thursday, April 19, from 9:30 am to 4.45 pm each day.   They include Metalwork, Home Management, Food and Nutrition, Arabic 3 (Oral), French 3 (Oral), Physical Education, Clothing and Textiles, Foods and Nutrition, Home Management, Music, Applied Electricity, Basic Electricity, Health Science, Health Education and Fisheries.

    The 2019 WASSCE for school candidates began on Monday with three subjects, Catering Craft Practice, Marketing and Salesmanship.

  • UTME: No exemption on biometric verification, JAMB insists

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says there is no exemption on biometric verification for all candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    The board made this known in its Vol. 1, No 11 weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

    According to the board, biometric verification will be the only mode of admittance of candidates into its examination centres nationwide saying that examination officials must adhere strictly to the rules.

    “Exemption mode is not allowed for any candidate, therefore, no biometric verification, no examination and no candidate should be kept waiting if he or she cannot be verified but should be directed to contact JAMB.

    “There is no other attendance register apart from the biometric verification, it will also serve as the attendance register during the examination as photo albums will only carry pictures with no marking points for either present or absent.

    “All examination officials, including security agents are to ensure compliance with all guidelines, rules and regulations on the examination as strict adherence to the guide on compulsory biometric verification of every candidate is required,” the board said.

    It also listed prohibited items into the examination halls as watches, pen or Biro, mobile phones or similar electronic device, books, calculators, smart eye lenses, ear pieces, recorders and jewelry.

    Others are key holders, ATM cards, erasers, Bluetooth devices, microphones among others, while adding also that spy reading glasses must be scrutinised.

    NAN recalls that the board had recently scheduled to commence the 2019 exercise starting with its mock examination on April 1 and the main examination on April 11, across its Computer Based Test (CBT) centres, nationwide. (NAN)