Key Points
- The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released 279 UTME results earlier withheld over suspected examination malpractice.
- Some results were cleared after investigations, while others remain under review or cancelled where malpractice was established.
- Candidates are advised to check their results via SMS using the official registration phone numbers.
Main story
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) has released 279 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results that were previously withheld for further scrutiny over suspected examination malpractice.
The Board confirmed the development through its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
According to the statement, the latest release follows a detailed review of cases flagged during the 2026 UTME exercise.
Benjamin explained that while some candidates were cleared after investigations found no evidence of wrongdoing, others remain under scrutiny, and results linked to confirmed malpractice have been cancelled.
“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,” he said.
He added that results from examination centres flagged through live monitoring systems or those with suspicious activities are still being withheld pending further investigation.
Where sufficient evidence of culpability is established, such results will also be cancelled, the Board warned.
The 2026 UTME was conducted between April 16 and April 25 across accredited computer-based test centres nationwide.
The issues
The release highlights ongoing concerns about examination malpractice in Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, particularly the increasing sophistication of cheating methods in computer-based tests.
JAMB has continued to rely on live monitoring systems and post-exam reviews to detect irregularities, but the volume of flagged cases suggests persistent challenges in securing the integrity of the examination process.
There are also concerns about delays and anxiety caused to candidates whose results are withheld for extended periods during investigations.
What’s being said
The Board maintains that its actions are necessary to preserve the credibility of the UTME and ensure fairness in the admissions process.
JAMB also reiterated that only candidates cleared of wrongdoing will have their results released, while those implicated in malpractice will face cancellation.
Candidates are advised to independently check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number used during registration.
What’s next
JAMB is expected to continue reviewing additional flagged results as investigations into suspected malpractice cases progress.
Further releases or cancellations may follow depending on the outcome of ongoing monitoring and verification exercises.
The Board is also likely to sustain its enforcement mechanisms ahead of future UTME cycles to reduce malpractice incidents.
Bottom line
The release of 279 UTME results underscores JAMB’s continued crackdown on examination malpractice, even as it balances enforcement with clearing innocent candidates. However, the ongoing scrutiny reflects persistent integrity challenges within Nigeria’s admission examination system.
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