The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed an unusual case of impersonation in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), where a blind candidate hired another visually impaired person to sit the exam on his behalf.
This was disclosed by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, where he provided updates on the conduct and outcome of the 2025 UTME.
Oloyede stated that the incident was uncovered during the administration of the UTME to 501 blind candidates through the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), headed by Prof. Peter Okebukola. The JEOG facilitates inclusive examination services for candidates with disabilities.
“Sadly, one of them was also involved in impersonation by recruiting an undergraduate student who is also blind to come and write for another blind candidate,” Oloyede said.
He added that JAMB provides comprehensive support for blind and other challenged candidates, including refunds of registration fees, transportation, accommodation, and feeding during the examination period.
“For the 2025 UTME, a total of 501 blind candidates were successfully examined by JEOG across 11 centres nationwide. Their results are also being released today,” he stated.
Despite the impersonation case, Oloyede reaffirmed JAMB’s dedication to inclusivity in tertiary education. “The Board remains committed to providing the necessary support for persons with disabilities aspiring to pursue tertiary education,” he said.
He praised the JEOG, led by Prof. Okebukola, for its continued dedication to ensuring equitable exam access for candidates with disabilities.
The 2025 UTME results were officially released on Friday. Ahead of the release, JAMB presented performance statistics showing that out of 1.9 million candidates who sat for the exam, over 1.5 million scored below 200 out of a possible 400.
The UTME assesses candidates in four subjects, with Use of English being compulsory. The remaining three are selected based on each candidate’s chosen course of study.
Commenting on the performance data, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa noted that the results reflect the effectiveness of the government's ongoing efforts to curb examination malpractice.
