The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has flagged 19 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across Nigeria for alleged impersonation and biometric fraud during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with the South-East region accounting for the highest number of implicated candidates and centres.
Data released by Statisense on Tuesday showed that fingerprint mismatches were detected at several CBT centres where biometric verification revealed discrepancies between candidates who registered and those who appeared for the exam.
A total of 6 centres in Anambra, 4 in Imo, and 1 each in Abia, Ebonyi, and Enugu were identified in the South-East, accounting for 11 of the 19 affected centres. In all, Anambra recorded 1,133 candidates with 53 impersonators, while Imo had 953 candidates and 40 impersonators.
Other affected centres were located in the North-West (Kano and Kaduna), South-South (Delta, Edo, Rivers), and North-Central (Plateau). Notably, Kano and Kaduna recorded 282 and 176 candidates respectively, with a combined 23 impersonators.
Breakdown by Location and Suspected Impersonators:
- Anambra: 6 centres — 1,133 candidates | 53 impersonators
- Imo: 4 centres — 953 candidates | 40 impersonators
- Abia: 1 centre — 641 candidates | 7 impersonators
- Ebonyi: 1 centre — 412 candidates | 13 impersonators
- Enugu: 1 centre — 231 candidates | 4 impersonators
- Kano: 2 centres — 282 candidates | 14 impersonators
- Kaduna: 1 centre — 176 candidates | 9 impersonators
- Delta: 1 centre — 199 candidates | 14 impersonators
- Edo: 1 centre — 82 candidates | 4 impersonators
- Rivers: 1 centre — 12 candidates | 5 impersonators
The biometric audit was part of JAMB’s efforts to clamp down on examination malpractice through improved digital surveillance. In total, 45 impersonators were arrested in the South-East, followed by 18 in the South-South, 12 in the North-West, 5 in the South-West, 2 in North-Central, and 1 in the North-East.
Top States by Number of Impersonators:
- Anambra — 30
- Delta — 8
- Rivers — 7
- Kano — 6
- Imo — 6
- Abia — 4
- Kaduna — 4
- Edo — 3
- Enugu — 3
- Lagos — 3
- Plateau — 2
- Ebonyi — 2
- Sokoto — 1
- Zamfara — 1
- Oyo — 1
- Borno — 1
- Ondo — 1
JAMB has yet to officially announce sanctions for the affected centres, but similar violations in the past have resulted in the blacklisting of operators and prosecution of culprits. The board has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice and pledged to uphold the integrity of its testing system.
