Releases code for checking 2019 results
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said it has caught someone it described as a “notorious cheat” who had registered for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) 64 times, with the intention of writing the examination for 64 candidates.
This is coming as the examination body has released “55019” as the code needed to check the just concluded 2019 UTME results.
JAMB added that overall, no fewer than 100 examination cheats have so far been arrested by security operatives across the country during the just concluded UTME.
The examination body lamented that multiple registrations inflate annual registration for the UTME exercise by up to 30 per cent.
In its Weekly Bulletin released in Abuja yesterday by its spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB said the fraudsters were engaged in multiple registrations to facilitate impersonation during the examination.
JAMB also said that data available to it showed that the practice was prevalent in virtually all the states of the federation, including Abuja.
Among the persons arrested was a notorious cheat who had registered about 64 times in a bid to “ghost-write” for 64 candidates, the board revealed.
The examination body said the arrest of the culprits was made possible by the comprehensive and mandatory identity checks conducted on those taking the examination, with a view to fishing out professional ghost writers before the release of the results.
JAMB also said that it had cancelled the results of two Computer Based Test centres in Abia State over what it described as “widespread irregularities” during the UTME.
It gave the names of the CBT centres as Heritage and Infinity CBT centre; and Okwyzil Computer Institute Comprehensive School Ugwunabo, Aba, Abia State.
Meanwhile, JAMB has released “55019” as the code needed to check the just concluded 2019 UTME results.
The board said it is not going to be business as usual when results were released within 24 and 48 hours after examination, as done in the past.
In a statement released by Benjamin, the board said it has simplified the process of checking the results and had saved the candidates from shylock business centres and cyber cafes, which often take advantage of them.
He said, “effective from when the board would announce the release of the 2019 UTME’s results, all candidates who wish to check their results should simply send RESULT to 55019 using the same phone number that was used for registration and then results will be returned as text messages.
“After a thorough, rigorous and successful screening process to identify and apprehend examination cheats, especially those involved in multiple registrations through the combination of fingers for biometric capturing, group/bulk registration by elite schools, which end up mixing candidates data, the board will release results.
“The board does not want the release of the 2019 UTME’s results to be business-as-usual, hence the programmed delay, which is part of its deliberate efforts to properly scrutinise, identify and address all forms of exam malpractices, particularly as it pertains ghost writing and multiple registration.”
