By Erewunmi Peace

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), has launched legal proceedings against five individuals identified as the masterminds behind a widespread admission fraud syndicate.

According to JAMB, the syndicate was responsible for producing and distributing fake admission letters to unsuspecting candidates seeking university placements. These fraudulent documents gave the illusion of valid admission through JAMB, deceiving both students and institutions.

In a press briefing held earlier this year, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that the operation of the syndicate dated back to 2021. Through forged credentials and manipulation of JAMB’s admission portal, the group helped candidates gain unauthorized access to tertiary institutions — at a significant cost.

“These individuals operated with the sole aim of subverting the integrity of our admission process. They exploited the desperation of candidates and compromised the credibility of institutions,” Oloyede stated.

A total of 17,417 candidates were flagged by JAMB following an internal audit. Out of this number, 6,931 candidates have since been cleared after verifying their records. However, 10,486 remain under scrutiny, and further investigations are ongoing.

The five ringleaders — whose names are being withheld pending full court proceedings — have confessed to their roles in the fraud and are now being prosecuted at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The Nigeria Police Force has reaffirmed its commitment to working with educational bodies to combat fraud and cybercrime. JAMB has also emphasized its zero-tolerance policy toward admission irregularities, warning students and parents to remain vigilant and always verify official documents through the JAMB CAPS portal.

JAMB urges all candidates to check their admission status via the official JAMB CAPS portal and avoid dealings with third-party agents promising guaranteed admission.