The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a case where a blind candidate hired a fellow blind undergraduate to impersonate him during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This disclosure was made by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday.
Prof. Oloyede explained that the impersonator was an undergraduate student who is also visually impaired. He lamented the incident despite the board’s extensive support for candidates with disabilities. “The Board remains committed to providing the necessary support for persons with disabilities aspiring to pursue tertiary education,” he said. He praised the efforts of the Prof. Peter Okebukola-led JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), which ensures that disabled candidates can sit for exams without obstacles.
For the 2025 UTME, JEOG successfully examined 501 visually impaired candidates across 11 centres nationwide. These candidates receive special assistance including refunds of registration fees, transportation, lodging, and feeding. “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 added.
The 2025 UTME results were released on the same day, with statistics showing that over 1.5 million of the 1.9 million candidates scored below the average benchmark of 200 out of 400 marks. The exam covers four core subjects, including mandatory Use of English and three other subjects relevant to candidates’ intended courses.
Reacting to the results, Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa stated that the figures demonstrate the government’s success in curbing exam malpractice.
