JAMB Uncovers AI-driven Plot To Manipulate 2026 UTME Registration

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has uncovered a technologically sophisticated scheme designed to compromise its registration system for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The board alleged that a syndicate deployed artificial intelligence tools to manipulate the registration process, allowing ineligible and underage candidates to bypass screening requirements.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, announced that a full-scale investigation had been launched into the operation.
Oloyede disclosed that the misconduct extended beyond external collaborators, with three senior JAMB officials recommended for dismissal over alleged sabotage of internal safeguards.

He added that two other JAMB staff members and an employee of Ahmadu Bello University are facing criminal prosecution for actions considered damaging to the credibility of the examination process.

According to JAMB data, about 38,000 underage candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, with roughly 100 allegedly receiving assistance from the syndicate.

The registrar said their names had been forwarded to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, with a recommendation that their registrations be cancelled.

Oloyede also accused some parents and their children of being willing collaborators in the scheme, noting that the malpractice spanned at least 25 states, highlighting its scale and coordination.

He further revealed that three school proprietors are in custody for aiding examination malpractice, while security agencies continue efforts to dismantle the network, assuring that JAMB remains technologically equipped to counter emerging threats.