The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is facing criticism after it accused the top scorer in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Chinedu Okeke, of foul play.
Mr Okeke, who applied to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Lagos, scored 375 out of the 400 maximum marks obtainable in the Computer-Based Test.
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JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, had suggested foul play as Mr Okeke was already in the board’s system as a fourth year student of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
Mr Oloyede, a professor, said the board wrote to the university which noted Mr Okeke is still a student and was doing fine.
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However, social media users have accused the board of victimising the candidate.
For instance, Alex Onyia, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Educare, a software solution for schools, said that the candidate hails from Anambra State and had filled his profile appropriately with JAMB.
Mr Onyia, who said he spoke to the candidate’s parents, claimed the error emerged after JAMB integrated wrong details from the National Identity Number (NIN) platform as contained in his 2021 JAMB slip.
Since 2021, JAMB has mandated the use of NIN for candidates’ registration for ease of migration of data, uniformity of information and seamless integration.
“Chinedu’s NIN Details has since been corrected and transmitted to JAMB in the form of data correction in 2021. This can be confirmed on his profile page,” Mr Onyia said.
JAMB reacts
However, JAMB maintains it operates on the foundation of ‘facts and data’, noting that facts available to it are different from what is being portrayed on social media.
In a statement by its spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, JAMB said the information available to it from the candidate’s NIN indicates that he hails from Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State where he sat the 2021 UTME.
“Firstly, it is inaccurate to assert that Chinedu Okeke hails from Anambra State,” JAMB said.
According to JAMB, Mr Okeke gained admission to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2021, where he is currently a fourth year student.
JAMB added that a review of the student’s record at UNN has not yet contradicted the information available to it.
JAMB said once it receives confirmation that Mr Okeke is no longer a student at UNN, it will promptly notify the Medical and Dental Council to consider delisting him.
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“Until that is done, the board would continue to treat Chinedu with all the dignity he deserves as a bona fide student of one of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions,” the board said.
JAMB noted that the inconsistencies in the candidate’s personal information has raised ‘significant questions’.
The board explained that candidates’ identities are established with their NIN through a partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)
“We do not modify or add to the information provided by candidates; hence, there should be no disputes regarding their identities,” the board explained.
“The assertion that JAMB retrieved incorrect details for Chinedu from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in 2021 is unequivocally false, aimed at fabricating a defence for his case.
“The evidence suggests that Chinedu altered his records as filled in 2021 prior to registering for the 2025 UTME, a fact confirmed by even his own advocates.”
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