The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has said it was overwhelmed with applications for correction of data by candidates who sat for its examinations in the past 10 years.
The board said the development arose from its recent disclosure that it would revalidate the biometrics of all candidates who had taken its examinations in the past 10 years in a bid to detect impersonators.
JAMB in its weekly news bulletin made available to newsmen by Dr Fabian Benjamin, the Head of Media, Sunday, noted that recently it “had vowed to publish the names of impostors in order to serve as deterrent to others as well as stem the antics of professional examination takers.
“This step was taken as a result of the huge number of applications received by the board, aimed at perfecting fraudulent acts that had aided impersonation in the first instance.
“It is to be noted that the board has in recent times, been inundated with series of complaints bordering on change, state of origin, local government, gender, date of birth, phone number, email address and subject combination of candidates.
“The board, in the course of its attempts to block all forms of examination malpractice, discovered that one of the ways of candidates employ for impersonation is to engage professional examination takers who register using the candidates’ names and afterwards apply for ‘correction’ of such details along the lines listed above.
“To address this, the board has resolved to revalidate all biometrics of candidates that had taken the board’s examinations to fish out these impersonators and prosecute them along with their sponsors.”
Meanwhile, JAMB said it had “discovered the series of unfortunate and pathetic situations that some of the so-called elite schools have put some candidates.
“This is because in their bid to make money, they engage in group registration after collecting money from unsuspecting parents. Such group registrations end up distorting candidates’ data.
“The public is, therefore, urged to be mindful of unscrupulous elite schools which exploit parents by collecting huge sums of money to register their students in group, more often at unauthorised centres.
“The board’s examination is not a school-based examination and, therefore, does not require candidates registering in groups. As such, all candidates desiring to take the board’s examination are required to register individually and not in groups.
“The board, hereby, urges elite secondary schools which indulge in collecting money in bulk to register candidates to desist from such acts or be held responsible for any misfortune that befalls these candidates.
“In the course of the various investigations conducted by the board, many instances of attempts to register candidates using multiple PINs to conceal impersonation were discovered.
“Other cases emanated from candidates who are already admitted to various programmes in tertiary institutions who are also seeking such ‘correction’ to normalise the infractions that had been perpetrated to gain such admissions.”
It mentioned Hill Side School, Gwarimpa, Abuja as the school “leading the pack” in the appeal for correction of subject combination. “The school in the letter, had pleaded with JAMB to correct four of her students’ subject combinations.
“Another came from Bishop Gabriel Chiakomo, Dunia Foundation, Auchi, Edo State, over group and mobile registrations and extortion of candidates perpetrated by the elite school.
“The board, therefore, advises all candidates to register directly with JAMB at authorized centres to avoid unnecessary problems.
“Furthermore, candidates are advised in their own interests, to desist from all acts of examination malpractice including impersonation as the board has deployed appropriate technology to detect impersonation and apprehend perpetrators. This can even occur after graduation.”
