Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of 68,309 candidates from last week’s Paper Pencil Test (PPT) and Dual Based Test (DBT) from various centers across Nigeria on suspicion of malpractice perpetrated during the examinations.
About 1,644,110 candidates sat for the examinations.
The body said the results of the candidates are being screened to ascertain their culpability and would be released in instances where malpractice was not established. It has however taken final decisions to withhold the results of 12,110 candidates where malpractice has been ascertained for possible disciplinary action.
The board said it is considering a permanent ban or ban for a certain period for candidates who are found culpable. It has also barred some schools where the management colluded with the candidates to cheat from being centers for the UTME test.
The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde at a news conference in Abuja yesterrday said although the Board could not present exact figures of students who have been convicted for malpractice, it has consistently handed over such students to the police for prosecution.
“The board just serves as a witness in such cases. Our duty is to prevent cases of cheating and we are doing that,” he said and lamented that some students, due to their gullibility and laziness have fallen for the antics of internet fraudsters who claim to possess the answers to the examinations questions or to be able to upgrade candidates’ results for a fee.
He lamented that some centers which are actually religious schools also assisted the candidates to cheat when as religious institutions; they were supposed to be model centers for good and credible conduct of the exams.
Commenting on the performance of the student’s this year; Ojerinde said 10 candidates scored over 300 marks out of the 400. He however clarified that the highest scorers cannot be announced yet as the Computer Based test (CBT) module of the exam is yet to be written.
There were initial fears that the examinations may have to be cancelled or postponed in areas currently besieged by the activities of Boko Haram. The Registrar said the examinations were conducted in all 3168 centers across the country including in Borno and Yobe states.
The CBT would hold between May 18 – June 1, 2013 at accredited centers across Nigeria and in six other countries.
