Police, JAMB Uncover Examination Malpractice Syndicate, Apprehend Suspects in Delta

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has uncovered a sophisticated examination malpractice syndicate during the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) at the College of Education, Warri, Delta State, leading to the arrest of three suspects linked to the operation.

Speaking at a joint press conference at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid, warned individuals and groups involved in attempts to compromise the integrity of public examinations to desist from such criminal activities.

He said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of JAMB’s technology-driven monitoring systems and the investigative capacity of the Nigeria Police Force in combating emerging technology-assisted crimes.

“Over the years, JAMB has continued to strengthen the integrity of its examination processes through sophisticated technological safeguards aimed at preventing intrusion, manipulation and malpractice.

“Regrettably, investigations have shown that certain examination centres and criminal collaborators still attempt to undermine these systems through organised fraudulent activities.

“The Nigeria Police Force notes that several offenders linked to examination malpractice have previously been prosecuted and convicted, while others are currently undergoing trial in various courts across the country,” he said.

According to preliminary findings, unauthorised and illegal remote access was gained into candidates’ examination computers during the conduct of the examination at the College of Education, Warri.

Placid disclosed that coordinated intelligence gathering and security operations led to the arrest of three suspects directly connected to the illegal operation, while another principal suspect remains at large.

Available intelligence, he said, indicated that the fleeing suspect remotely accessed and operated candidates’ computer systems from an undisclosed location during the examination. 

He added that efforts were ongoing to track and apprehend the suspect.

Investigations have also uncovered other examination centres suspected to have engaged in similar illegal remote access activities.

Consequently, JAMB has withdrawn results from the affected centres pending the conclusion of investigations.

The police said candidates affected by the incident would be rescheduled for the mop-up examination in line with JAMB’s commitment to fairness and due process.

The Force stressed that the operation was not only aimed at arresting offenders after crimes had been committed, but also at proactively detecting, dismantling and preventing organised examination malpractice networks through intelligence-led policing, digital forensics and inter-agency collaboration.

“The Force reiterates that no form of cyber-assisted examination fraud, digital manipulation, or unauthorised system intrusion will escape detection and prosecution. Individuals involved in such criminal enterprises should understand that the law will take its full course against all offenders,” Placid stated.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force, alongside JAMB and other stakeholders, to safeguarding the credibility of public examinations across the country.