Fresh controversy has trailed the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board withdrew results from centres linked to an alleged technology-driven examination fraud uncovered in Delta State.
The action followed a joint operation by the Nigeria Police Force and JAMB after investigators uncovered what authorities described as a coordinated attempt to compromise the integrity of the examination through unauthorized remote access to candidates’ computer systems.
The alleged malpractice was uncovered during the conduct of the UTME at the College of Education, Warri, where investigators said external operators illegally accessed examination systems while candidates were writing the test.
Police operatives, acting on intelligence and digital forensic investigations, arrested four suspects said to be directly connected to the scheme. The suspects are currently in custody and assisting investigators.
Investigations have also spread to other centres suspected to have engaged in similar activities, raising fears that the network may be wider than initially discovered.
Amid the unfolding probe, JAMB announced the withdrawal of results from the affected centres pending the conclusion of investigations, while candidates caught up in the development are to be rescheduled for the mop-up examination.
The police warned candidates, operators of examination centres and other collaborators against involvement in examination malpractice, cyber-assisted fraud and unlawful access to examination systems.