The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it withheld 96 results on account of examination infractions, a decrease from 123 in the previous year.

JAMB registrar Ishaq Oloyede disclosed this during a news conference on the official release of the results in Bwari on Friday.

Mr Oloyede said further results remained under investigation, and the board remained resolute in its commitment to eliminating any examination malpractice.

He said the 2025 UTME saw 2,030,862 candidates register, of which 1,957,000 were verified to sit the exam, and 71,705 were absent.

Mr Oloyede said that statistically, of the 2,030,862 registered UTME candidates, results for 1,911,551 were released.

The registrar added that approximately 39,834 results remained pending due to ongoing scrutiny, with 1,426 under active investigation.

According to him, 2,157 candidates experienced fingerprint rejections due to suspected registration infractions, a figure far above acceptable margins and currently under investigation.

“The 2025 UTME showed the prevalence of some particular types of infractions, which suggests systemic vulnerabilities or gaps in registration and examination administration or/and monitoring.

“The new trends observed were in the registration and examination processes, and they were mainly in the following categories: identity fraud, and biometric fraud of combined thumbprint of candidates,” he said.

Mr Oloyede said other infractions were impersonation at the point of registration with the active involvement of a few CBT centres, double registration, and attempted substitution of self by candidates.

The registrar added that 244 candidates were caught engaging in “WhatsApp runs,” subscribing to rogue groups promising leaked questions. He said their results had also been withheld to set a stern example.

He said that in some cases, the entire syndicate colluded with CBT centres to register using multiple fingerprints.

According to him, as a result, 3,656 candidates with “extraneous fingerprints” have had their results withheld, and some CBT centres implicated will face sanctions.

He identified the centres as Tigh Technologies Limited, Sascon International School, Maitama, Abuja, and Wudil Computer Information Technology, Wudil, Kano State, and Penta M &Amp Centre 2, Tambuwal LGA, Sokoto, Sokoto State.

Mr Oloyede added that 80 suspects were being interrogated by the police for their involvement in the examination malpractices, and most of them would be prosecuted.

“The board has identified the presence of extraneous fingers in the registration details of some of these candidates. This raises concerns regarding potential strategies for impersonation.

“A total of 3,656 candidates fall within this category. Consequently, the results of the candidates have been withheld.

Speaking on underage candidates, he explained that following the Ministry of Education’s decision to enforce a minimum age of 16, an exception was granted for “exceptionally gifted” underage students.

The registrar said that of the 41,027 registered underage candidates, only 467 met the high-performance criteria, with one disqualified due to examination malpractice.

He said the board remained committed to supporting persons with disabilities aspiring to pursue tertiary education.

Mr Oloyede said that for the 2025 UTME, 501 candidates were successfully examined by JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) across 11 centres nationwide.

He said the results are also being released, but one of them was also involved in impersonation.

The registrar also said that due to substandard performance, four centres had been delisted and blacklisted for technical deficiencies.

He listed the centres as: Adventure Associate, Behind Sheshe Supermarket, Kano, Saadatu Rimi College of Education, Zaria.

Others are Soronara Ventures Nigeria Limited Foundation Road, Umudagu Mbieri, Mbaitoli, Imo State and HSS Amazing, Holy Saviour School, 30/32, Old Ota Road, Adeleye, Aparadija, Isunba, Lafenwa, Itele, Ogun State.

He therefore said a list of those blacklisted for fraudulent practices would soon be made public with details of their nefarious activities.

Mr Oloyede maintained that despite challenges, the 2025 UTME had been hailed as one of the most successful in recent years.

He reaffirmed the board’s commitment to a zero-tolerance stance on malpractice and pledged continued innovation to protect the credibility of public examinations.

(NAN)