JAMB uncovers 3,000 cases of fake graduates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board has unearthed a massive scam, revealing 3,000 individuals who pretended to be graduates without ever setting foot in a university.

The board condemned the continued practice of illegal admissions by some institutions, labeling it a disgrace to the country’s educational landscape.

Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the board, revealed this information in a report published in the board’s official bulletin, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent in Abuja.

According to the bulletin, Oloyede disclosed this during a meeting with the leadership of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities.

“Some ‘graduates’ had never entered the four walls of a university owing to the endemic corruption in the system but the board had documented over 3,000 of such cases.

“Illegal admission of candidates into tertiary institutions in the country is an embarrassment and a disservice to the nation,” the bulletin read.

The issue of illegal admissions has over the years been at the forefront of JAMB’s priorities.

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, in December 2023, ordered the JAMB to present a list of tertiary institutions that had conducted irregular and illegal admissions.

Earlier, the examination body warned candidates not to accept admissions from institutions that do not require full academic participation, emphasizing the value of genuine academic achievement.

In a statement titled ‘Cessation of Illegal/Irregular Admission’, JAMB reaffirmed that all admission applications for first degrees, national diplomas, national innovation diplomas, and Nigeria certificates in education must be strictly processed through JAMB.