By Martin Ekpeke
In a startling revelation that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s education sector, the Chairman of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI), Dr. Jake Epelle, detailed a widespread network of technologically aided malpractices that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Speaking on the Arise TV Morning Show, Dr. Epelle revealed a grim picture of sophisticated cheating methods, including AI-assisted impersonation and finger blending, all enabled by a cartel of fraudsters, and in many cases, sponsored by the very parents who should be guiding their children.
Dr. Epelle’s committee has uncovered 192 cases of AI cheating and 4,251 cases of finger blending. These are not isolated incidents but part of a well-organized scheme.
The finger blending method, according to him, involves a candidate and a mercenary, with both individuals registering their fingerprints during the initial capturing process, allowing the system to recognize both. “On exam day, they sit side-by-side, with the mercenary secretly taking the exam while the actual candidate feigns participation. These mercenaries are reportedly paid as much as N1 million for their services,” he disclosed.
Another alarming method is image morphing, where fraudsters use technology to mirror the codes of CBT centers. A hired professional, often in a separate room, then takes the exams for multiple candidates simultaneously.
Dr. Epelle described the findings as mind-blowing. “To evade detection, CBT center operators resort to simple but effective tricks, such as using toilet paper to block CCTV cameras. The committee also found cases of forged credentials, multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and false disability claims used to gain an unfair advantage,” he added.
Perhaps the most disheartening revelation from Dr. Epelle was the direct involvement of parents. He stated that parents are behind 80% of these fraudulent activities, actively sponsoring their children to engage with manipulators to obtain fake certificates. “I am troubled. The soul of the education sector is in trouble,” Dr. Epelle warned, adding that many of the certificates being paraded by students today are worthless.
Dr. Epelle is calling for a state of emergency in the Nigerian education sector and has urged for immediate and drastic action. He insists that without holding perpetrators accountable and throwing them in jail as a deterrent, this cartel will continue to thrive.
The committee has already submitted a list of recommendations, including banning all CBT centers involved in malpractice, canceling all fraudulent results, imposing bans on candidates for up to three years and strengthening verification processes for disability claims and registration.
He also stressed the need for a cultural reorientation to help parents and students understand the long-term implications of these unethical practices on both their personal futures and the country as a whole.
As Dr. Epelle aptly put it, “Prevention is better than cure… the AIs of this world are ravaging the systems.”