17 Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Registrars and 4 JAMB Staff in Custody as 15,000 Forged Admission Letters Surface
By Erewunmi Peace
In a major crackdown on admission-fraud, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that at least 15,000 candidates forged admission letters to qualify for mobilisation by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). According to the Board’s Registrar, Is‑haq Oloyede, “not less than 17” deputy vice-chancellors (DVCs), several deputy registrars and four JAMB staff are currently in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the alleged fraud.
Oloyede made the disclosures during the 2025 Batch C pre-mobilisation workshop in Abuja organised by the NYSC.
He said: “Some deputy registrars are being tried by ICPC. Some deputy vice-chancellors, not less than 17, including four JAMB staff members, are in prison custody. We took them to the ICPC. Those who want to go to jail should do so knowingly, not by accident.”
The NYSC’s Director-General, Olakunle Nafiu, lamented that forged credentials, multiple registrations and identity theft by unqualified individuals continue to pose serious threats to the integrity of its mobilisation process.
Implications:
The scale of the alleged fraud — 15,000 forged admission letters — signals a major violation of academic and service-mobilisation integrity in the higher education sector.
The involvement of high-ranking institutional officials (DVCs, deputy registrars) and accreditation/registration staff suggests systemic vulnerabilities in admission and verification processes.
The action by the ICPC and JAMB may act as a deterrent and prompt universities and regulatory agencies to tighten internal controls, verification systems and data-management protocols.
For candidates, the message is clear: participation in fraud may lead to serious legal consequences and invalidation of service eligibility.
What to Watch Next:
Further detailed disclosures by JAMB and/or ICPC: names of implicated persons, institutions involved, case progress and outcomes.
Follow-up investigations by universities to identify internal collusion or procedural lapses.
NYSC’s response in terms of suspensions, sanctions and revised mobilisation guidelines.
Reactions from institutions whose officials are reportedly implicated — will they issue statements, investigate internally, or take disciplinary action?
