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JAMB uncovers 706,189 illegal admissions

Published

5 years ago

November 25, 2021

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered 706, 189 illegal admissions by universities, colleges of education, polytechnics and other institutions, Registrar Ishaq Oloyede said yesterday.

He said the illegality was perpetrated by public and private higher institutions across the six geopolitical zones.

According to him, 114 universities account for 67,795 of the illegal admissions; 489,918 in 137 polytechnics; 142,818 in 80 Colleges of Education and 5,678 in 37 other institutions.

The ‘hidden’ admissions, which Oloyede said were unknown to JAMB as prescribed by law, were perpetrated from 2017 to 2020 by the affected institutions.

The Education Minister Malam Adamu Adamu has agreed to a plea by JAMB for a last chance for the violators, Oloyede said during a consultative/sensitisation meeting with stakeholders in Abuja.

He said the institutions disregarded JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) which allows institutions to “only admit candidates that met the requirements.”

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He said vice chancellors, rectors and provosts of the affected institutions’ have admitted their mistakes by “sending a formal letter of confession and disclosure to the JAMB Registrar.”

The list of the 114 universities indicted for illegal admissions was presented to the stakeholders.

The JAMB registrar said: “As a measure of mopping up the backlog of improperly admitted candidates, the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, assented to the Board’s plea for a last chance for the violators.

“He also approved the caveat that the culprits should, first and foremost, declare the number of candidates admitted outside CAPS between 2017 and 2020 by sending a formal letter of confession and disclosure to the JAMB Registrar.

“Those minimally qualified would then be condoned to put an end to the period and finally put the matter to rest.

“The Board was then directed to launch massive campaigns to educate the public against accepting such illegal admissions henceforth.”

Ruling out another opportunity for illegal admissions by institutions of higher learning, Oloyede said the illegality had hindered the future of many graduates and it was time to stop it.

He added: “The graduates of the illegitimate process need admission letters to pursue post-graduation endeavours like housemanship, scholarship, enrolment into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others, they are out of sync.

“Some candidates had been forced in the past to seek direct entry into other universities after graduation just because their degrees were not recognised as a result of lack of admission letters at critical stages.

“The physical, psychological and mental strain of such candidates is better imagined than experienced. This could have been avoided if everyone played the game according to the rules.

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“The Board is then constrained to condone these illegitimate admissions through a process known as ‘condonement’ which was previously known as ‘Regularization’.

“This was done out of sympathy for the candidates and consideration of the enormous resources expended on the training of such candidates.

“Thus, the Board was condoning all these infractions in admissions conducted prior till 2017. It is note-worthy that the lawlessness is perpetrated in institutions across the six geopolitical zones of the country.”

Oloyede also claimed that some university lecturers were recently arrested for engaging in massive fraud associated with ‘A Level’ examinations by Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) and Interim Joint Matriculation Board.

He added: “As a moderator of the two ‘A Level entrance examinations in Nigeria, Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board(JUPEB) and Interim Joint Matriculation Board Examination(IJMBE), the attention of the board was drawn to the massive fraud associated with the conduct of these examinations.

“It is quite disappointing that some of our colleagues were arrested while conniving with various examination syndicates to compromise the noble objectives of these two examinations.

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“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Education conducted a sting operation the result of which is monumentally embarrassing.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you must have been disturbed by the recent indicting release of the ICPC on the scandal in its campaign to put an end to such illegal, destructive and disruptive activities.

“The board has painstakingly taken some measures to forestall future recurrence. It has, for instance, initiated action to seek approval from the minister of Education, to establish what it refers to as the ‘A Level Task Team/ A Level Qualification and Verification Databank (ALQVD)’ as a repository for verified A/L qualifications in Nigeria.

“I am privileged to know that the Federal Ministry of Education is considering further necessary action on the matter. As soon as the appropriate approvals are secured, we would reach out to you for assistance.”

On the unethical and unacceptable practices by Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centres, he said: ”Fourthly, the review of our registration process has shown some unethical and unacceptable practices by Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centres.

“These centres are allowed to collect only Seven Hundred Naira (#700.00) as registration charges but they use the opportunity to engage in conduct unbecoming, including extortion, during the exercise.

“In order to put a stop to such extortion, we propose to make UTME registration henceforth cashless. In other words, JAMB will now be collecting the approved N700.00 registration fee on behalf of the CBT Centres along with its UTME registration fees and then remit what is due to each registration centre to its bank account on a weekly basis or any timeframe acceptable to the centre owners.

“This intervention will block all loopholes through which hapless candidates are extorted by unscrupulous service providers.”

The Nation

Related Topics:admissions Featured illegal JAMB Oloyede

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SERAP Sues INEC Over ₦126bn Electoral Funds, Demands Full Accountability

Published

10 hours ago

October 18, 2026

Trends Admin

SERAP Sues INEC Over ₦126bn Electoral Funds, Demands Full Accountability

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its alleged failure to account for more than ₦126.46 billion allocated for electoral operations, asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to compel the commission to disclose how the public funds were spent.

The lawsuit, filed last week and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2507/2026, followed findings attributed to the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2023 audited report, published on August 7, 2026. The reported irregularities relate mainly to transactions carried out in 2022, with some extending into 2023.

SERAP is seeking a court order compelling INEC to provide a detailed financial and documentary account of the funds, including the amounts released and paid, the beneficiaries, the contractors involved and the beneficial owners of the companies that received the payments.

The organisation also wants the commission to provide evidence that the goods and services covered by the transactions were delivered, explain how the electoral materials were used and disclose their present location and condition.

According to SERAP, the money was intended for the procurement of ballot boxes, electoral devices, sensitive election materials, result sheets, vehicles and accreditation equipment, as well as audit services, consultancy, digital archiving and other electoral operations.

The organisation said the Auditor-General’s report raised concerns about several transactions, including more than ₦112.15 billion allegedly paid for ballot boxes, electoral devices and other materials without competitive bidding or a Certificate of No Objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

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SERAP said the audit findings indicated that there was no evidence that the items had been procured. It also cited concerns that contracts were awarded to companies whose competence, experience, operational capacity, addresses and factory locations were reportedly unknown.

The Auditor-General reportedly raised the possibility that the funds had been diverted and recommended their recovery. However, the allegations remain subject to verification and do not, by themselves, establish that the entire amount was stolen.

Another transaction highlighted by SERAP involved approximately ₦1.06 billion allegedly paid for Toyota Prado TXL 2021-model vehicles without the required advertisement, competitive bidding, bid evaluation or procurement clearance.

The organisation also cited more than ₦3.13 billion allegedly paid to four contractors for ballot guides, sensitive materials and result sheets before the contracts were awarded. According to SERAP, the audit raised questions about the transactions and the possibility that the money had been diverted.

A further ₦9.24 billion was reportedly paid under 22 contracts covering similar goods and services. SERAP said the Auditor-General questioned whether the contracts had been split to circumvent procurement rules and whether payments had been made for items that were not supplied.

Other transactions cited in the lawsuit included ₦129.37 million paid to 19 accounting firms for financial audit services without sufficient supporting evidence, more than ₦504 million for accreditation devices under questioned procurement arrangements, and about ₦235.1 million paid to contractors for sleeping mats and digital archiving.

SERAP wants INEC to provide documentary and physical evidence showing that the electoral materials covered by the disputed payments were actually procured. It is also asking the court to compel the commission to identify the contractors, suppliers, consultants and public officials who authorised or processed the transactions.

The organisation further wants INEC to ensure that electoral equipment and other public assets covered by the audit findings are not disposed of, transferred, destroyed or written off in ways that could frustrate investigations, transparency or the recovery of public funds.

SERAP argued that Nigerians have a right to know how money appropriated for elections was managed, particularly as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

It maintained that transparency in electoral spending is necessary to protect public confidence in INEC and ensure that funds allocated for credible elections are used for their intended purposes.

The organisation cited provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, national anti-corruption laws and Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption in support of its demand for accountability.

The suit was filed on SERAP’s behalf by lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo.

No hearing date had been announced as of Sunday, October 18, 2026.

The case follows an earlier demand by SERAP in September, when the organisation gave INEC seven days to explain the expenditure and called for investigations into transactions flagged by the Auditor-General.

The latest legal action seeks to compel the electoral commission to provide the requested information through a court order.

SERAP Sues INEC Over ₦126bn Electoral Funds, Demands Full Accountability

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Borno Highway Blast: Soldiers Killed as Military Vehicle Hits Landmine

Published

10 hours ago

October 18, 2026

Trends Admin

Borno Highway Blast: Soldiers Killed as Military Vehicle Hits Landmine

At least eight Nigerian soldiers have been killed after a military patrol vehicle struck a landmine along a highway in Borno State, north-east Nigeria.

The incident occurred on Saturday in Kinuba village, about 25 kilometres from Gamboru, near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, according to defence sources cited by AFP.

The soldiers were reportedly travelling along the highway while inspecting members of an anti-insurgency militia involved in clearing thick vegetation beside the road when their vehicle ran over the explosive.

The blast killed all eight soldiers aboard the vehicle, while a militia member supervising the vegetation-clearing operation sustained shrapnel injuries.

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A member of the militia, Ibrahim Liman, said the explosive had been planted on the dusty road and detonated remotely.

The attack was blamed on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an armed group that operates in the region and has repeatedly targeted security personnel and civilians.

The highway attack came amid renewed violence in Borno, where insurgents have continued to target military formations and patrols despite ongoing counter-insurgency operations.

The incident also occurred on the day the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, visited Maiduguri, the state capital, following a separate attack on a military base that reportedly killed 15 soldiers and five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force.

ISWAP and its rival, Boko Haram, have increasingly used improvised explosive devices and landmines against military convoys and other road users in the North-East.

The latest incident underscores the continuing security risks along major highways in Borno, where thick vegetation can provide cover for insurgents to plant explosives and launch attacks on passing vehicles.

Borno Highway Blast: Soldiers Killed as Military Vehicle Hits Landmine

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Okonjo-Iweala: My Mother Was Kidnapped After I Uncovered $2.4bn Subsidy Fraud

Published

11 hours ago

October 18, 2026

Trends Admin

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)

Okonjo-Iweala: My Mother Was Kidnapped After I Uncovered $2.4bn Subsidy Fraud

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has recounted how her efforts to expose an alleged $2.4 billion fuel subsidy fraud in Nigeria were followed by threats and the kidnapping of her mother in 2012.

Okonjo-Iweala, who was Nigeria’s finance minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan, said the kidnappers demanded that she resign from office and leave the country before her mother, Kamene Okonjo, would be released.

She said the abduction, which occurred in December 2012, subjected her family to five days of anguish and forced her to confront a painful choice between her public responsibilities and her mother’s safety.

According to her account, the crisis followed an investigation into suspicious claims submitted under Nigeria’s fuel subsidy programme. The investigation reportedly uncovered about $2.4 billion in fraudulent claims, prompting the government to withhold payments on the disputed transactions.

Okonjo-Iweala said she had raised concerns about the figures with the president and requested an audit of the accounts. After approval was granted, the review uncovered what she described as substantial fraud.

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The former minister said the refusal to pay the disputed claims was followed by threats against her, before her mother was abducted from her home in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State.

The kidnappers reportedly sought to pressure her into abandoning her position in government, making her resignation a condition for her mother’s release.

Okonjo-Iweala said the experience was devastating, admitting that she considered leaving office because her mother’s life was more important to her than her position.

She recalled that her father, the late Professor Chukwuka Okonjo, encouraged her not to surrender to blackmail and urged her to continue her work.

Her mother eventually escaped after spending five days in captivity, bringing the ordeal to an end.

The incident exposed the personal risks associated with efforts to investigate alleged financial abuses in Nigeria’s petroleum subsidy system, which had long been dogged by questions over payments to fuel importers and the verification of claims.

Okonjo-Iweala later became the first woman and first African to lead the WTO, taking office as Director-General in March 2021.