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JAMB to conduct special mop-up exam for candidates who missed 2025 UTME

Published

7 months ago

May 21, 2025

JAMB to conduct special mop-up exam for candidates who missed 2025 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans to conduct a special mop-up examination for candidates who were unable to sit for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

According to JAMB, an estimated 5.6% of registered candidates missed the exam for various reasons. To ensure no student is left behind, the Board has resolved to offer a fresh opportunity to all affected individuals regardless of why they missed the original exam date.

Speaking at a stakeholder meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, emphasized the Board’s commitment to fairness and inclusivity.

Oloyede who acknowledged the emotional strain experienced while announcing the UTME results, said it was not indicative of institutional weakness.

He maintained that JAMB remains committed to resolving issues affecting the examination process and rejected any suggestion that administrative failures were due to incompetence or ethnic bias.

“I want to say this clearly, particularly because I accepted responsibility, not because I do not know how to do the work. People that work with me have testified to the fact that I do not care where you come from. Until this incident happened, I didn’t know that I was surrounded by many issues, because I didn’t look at them as issues, I looked at them as my friends.”

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“But when things started happening and people are saying, ‘Which one is you?’ which is unfortunate because you need not look at where you come from. But I never knew, because I knew him as a human being who was performing his services. So please, let us not descend to the level of those people who are out there.”

“I say it for the fourth time that no conspiracy theory is relevant to this case. There is nothing to say north, south, or that you buy more outside. Something happened like people who have been doing something well for years and something just went wrong. I did not throw them under the bus. No.”

He further urged stakeholders to stop ethnic profiling in education and criticised those who exploit difficulties to promote ethnic or conspiracy-driven narratives. He asserted that many criticisms of JAMB’s operations are rooted in ignorance.

The Registrar commended his team’s efforts and stressed that JAMB does not discriminate based on background or ethnicity.

Oloyede also expressed appreciation for the resilience shown by candidates, many of whom continued their exams despite various challenges.

“It was not easy at all, to be able to bring such things and say, look, I will sit there and then enjoy. We were doing that because at that time, the only space we had was the space that had a big science practical on Friday. And we felt that we could move in and get it. We couldn’t get that type of space for another two months, and we would have permanently deprived the students of their chance in life.

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“So we knew that if we continued to mourn and groan about what had happened and allowed that space to escape, we might not recover it. I told the students, just like Griffith said, because you had over about 95% attendance across all sessions that’s a very reasonable attendance.

“We are also taking the decision that all those who missed that examination whatever the reason, the 5.6% or 6% that missed it we would not only mop up. Normally, we hold one mop-up nationwide for those with one issue or another. This time, we are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence we will extend this opportunity to them.

“It’s not that we are doing something extraordinary. In class, you make up an examination when students miss it for one reason or the other. We just don’t allow abuse of that. So we will allow all the candidates who missed the main exam for any reason to take part in this mop-up.”

Oloyede also criticised public commentators who misunderstand or misrepresent the role of the UTME.

He clarified that the UTME is a placement test, not an achievement test. Its purpose is to rank candidates for available spaces in institutions, not to measure intelligence or overall academic potential.

He emphasised that high UTME scores were not the sole determinant of admission, noting that combined performance including post-UTME scores and school assessments can significantly affect a candidate’s ranking.

JAMB to conduct special mop-up exam for candidates who missed 2025 UTME

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Borno Police Defuse Unexploded Bomb Under Network Mast in Maiduguri

Published

5 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Borno State Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Abdulmajid

Borno Police Defuse Unexploded Bomb Under Network Mast in Maiduguri

The Borno State Police Command on Monday successfully defused an unexploded bomb planted beneath a network mast in Chuskon, Federal Low Cost Area, Maiduguri, averting a potential security threat to residents.

According to Police Public Relations Officer ASP Nahum Daso, the EOD-CBRN Base 13 unit responded promptly after receiving a report from the Divisional Police Officer, ITE Police Division. The explosive device, featuring two protruding wires, was rendered safe following standard bomb disposal procedures. Items including a hand plier, a T-shirt, and a pair of shoes were recovered at the scene, suggesting deliberate placement by unknown individuals.

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“The Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Abdulmajid, has charged all Divisional Police Officers across the state to intensify patrols and fortify critical infrastructure, especially communication facilities, to prevent sabotage and maintain public safety,” ASP Daso stated.

Following the operation, the police held community sensitization and safety awareness sessions, urging residents to remain vigilant, report suspicious objects promptly, and collaborate with security agencies.

The command assured the public that the situation has been brought under control and that normal activities have resumed in the area. Investigations into the bomb plot are ongoing as authorities continue to strengthen measures to safeguard lives and property across Maiduguri and surrounding communities.

Borno Police Defuse Unexploded Bomb Under Network Mast in Maiduguri

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Aisha Buhari Key to DSS DG Removal, Thwarts Alleged APC Primary Manipulation

Published

5 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Aisha Buhari

Aisha Buhari Key to DSS DG Removal, Thwarts Alleged APC Primary Manipulation

A new biography, “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari” by Dr. Charles Omole, has unveiled the pivotal role of former First Lady Aisha Buhari in the removal of Lawal Daura, former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), amid attempts by influential Aso Rock aides to manipulate the 2023 APC presidential primaries for then Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

The book, launched yesterday at the State House Conference Hall by President Bola Tinubu, details how aides close to former President Muhammadu Buhari presented fabricated “presidential orders” to security chiefs—including the IGP, DSS DG, and DG NIA—to deploy forces in favor of Lawan as the consensus APC candidate.

According to the biography, Aisha Buhari was a major instigator in Daura’s ouster, framing it as an early test of Buhari’s commitment to institutional propriety. When then-acting President Yemi Osinbajo approved Daura’s removal, Buhari refrained from intervening, emphasizing respect for the vice president and institutional authority.

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Former IGP Usman Alkali Baba recounted a clandestine meeting ahead of the primaries, revealing how the security chiefs sought clarification from Buhari after being presented with the fake orders. The President reaffirmed his stance that Nigerians should freely choose their candidates, dismissing any attempts to manipulate the party’s process.

The biography also highlights a separate Villa incident where a family dispute escalated to gunfire involving a policeman linked to the First Lady’s office. Buhari’s Chief Security Officer Abubakar Idris arrested the officer, and the President held family members accountable, demonstrating adherence to law over personal ties.

The book launch drew high-profile attendees, including President Bola Tinubu, Gambian President Adama Barrow, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Nana Shettima, governors, traditional rulers, Aisha Buhari, and aides of the former president.

The revelations shed new light on Aso Rock power dynamics, the safeguarding of electoral integrity in the APC 2023 primaries, and the influence of Aisha Buhari in upholding institutional order within Nigeria’s security apparatus.

Aisha Buhari Key to DSS DG Removal, Thwarts Alleged APC Primary Manipulation

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Four Suspected Bandits Killed, 13 Abducted in Kogi Shootout

Published

6 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Four Suspected Bandits Killed, 13 Abducted in Kogi Shootout

At least four suspected bandits were killed during a violent shootout in Ayetoro Kiri, a farming community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, Kogi State, on Sunday evening, while 13 individuals were abducted, the state government confirmed on Monday.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the attack was part of a series of incursions by criminal elements fleeing bandit attacks in neighbouring Niger and Kwara States, prompting a coordinated security response in Kogi.

Local hunters reportedly fought back bravely, engaging the bandits in a gunfire exchange, neutralizing four suspects while others fled with injuries. Security forces, including soldiers from the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, the Kogi State Police Command, and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have been deployed to the area to track the escaping criminals and rescue the kidnapped victims.

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Fanwo revealed that Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is coordinating with service chiefs to secure air support from the Nigerian Air Force to complement ground operations, strengthening the state’s effort to protect lives and property.

“The Governor is steadfast in preserving lives and property throughout Kogi State. Our security network has restricted the bandits’ movements, and we are winning the battle,” Fanwo stated, praising the bravery of local hunters and the cooperation of security agencies.

The recent attack follows another deadly raid less than two weeks ago in Irunda Ile, Yagba East LGA, where suspected bandits killed four people, including two vigilantes, highlighting ongoing security challenges in the state.

The Kogi State Government has reassured residents that a robust joint security team has been established, and continuous efforts are underway to rescue abducted persons and clamp down on criminal activities across the state.