JAMB concludes probe, releases 279 withheld UTME results

Key points

• The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of 279 candidates previously withheld over suspected malpractice in the 2026 UTME.
• The decision follows the conclusion of investigations into flagged cases during and after the examination.
• Some candidates were cleared after no evidence of wrongdoing was found, while others remain under review.
• Results of candidates found culpable of malpractice have been cancelled in line with examination rules.
• Investigations are still ongoing for centres flagged for suspicious activity and adverse reports.

Main story

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of 279 candidates whose UTME scores were earlier withheld for further investigation over alleged examination malpractice in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The Board confirmed the development in a statement issued on Thursday by its Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, noting that the newly released results add to those previously cleared after earlier rounds of review.

According to JAMB, the action follows the completion of investigations into multiple cases flagged during and after the conduct of the examination.

While some candidates have now had their results released after being cleared of any wrongdoing, others remain under scrutiny as investigations continue into suspicious activities detected at certain examination centres.

The issues

The review process highlights ongoing concerns around examination malpractice in high-stakes national assessments such as the UTME.

JAMB stated that its monitoring systems, including live surveillance during examinations, flagged certain centres for suspicious activity, prompting deeper investigations.

The Board also noted that while some cases were resolved in favour of candidates, others resulted in outright cancellation of results where evidence of malpractice was established.

Authorities emphasised that the integrity of the examination process remains a key concern, with further reviews still ongoing.

What’s being said

JAMB Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said:

“While some results have been outrightly cancelled where evidence of malpractice was established, others have been released where the Board found no prima facie case against the affected candidates.”

JAMB also stated:

The decision followed the conclusion of investigations into cases flagged during and after the examination process.

The Board further reaffirmed its position that pending cases remain under active review, especially in centres flagged by monitoring teams for suspicious conduct.

What’s next

JAMB confirmed that investigations are still ongoing for candidates whose results remain withheld, particularly in centres under heightened scrutiny.

Affected candidates are advised to continue checking their status through official channels by sending “UTMERESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number used for registration.

Further batches of results may be released or cancelled depending on the outcome of ongoing reviews.

Bottom line

JAMB’s release of 279 previously withheld UTME results reflects a continuing effort to balance fairness to candidates with strict enforcement of examination integrity, as investigations into malpractice cases remain ongoing.