Students fake kidnapping to retake UTME, says JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a new tactic by some students to retake the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). According to the 2024 policy document signed by JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede and made available to The Guardian, applicants are now faking kidnappings.

Prof. Oloyede revealed that some students, after realizing they might not perform well in the exam, falsely claimed they were abducted. This disclosure was made during the 2024 JAMB Policy meeting in Abuja, opened by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.

The document highlights this new trend among students who missed their exams: “Claim of kidnap is the new trend of lies by candidates who were absent during the examination. When JAMB rescheduled exams for genuine candidates, others falsely claimed they were kidnapped just before their exam date and released afterward.”

Oloyede also expressed concern that some parents are involved in these deceptions, fabricating stories of their children being kidnapped. He cited an instance where a father claimed his son was kidnapped in Wuse, Abuja, but managed to escape and reach the exam center late.

The NIGERIA NEWS 247 notes that while the main examination was held from April 19 to 29, 2024, JAMB conducted a supplementary exercise between June 21 and 22.