ABUJA — The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a staggering 585 fake A-level certificates used for university admissions in 2025 alone, according to the Registrar of the Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede. The revelation was made during a virtual closed-door meeting with JAMB staff held on April 2, as part of preparations for the 2025 Mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
A transcript of the meeting, published in JAMB’s weekly bulletin and obtained by The PUNCH, detailed the alarming scale of certificate forgery and highlighted the Board’s efforts to combat academic fraud.
Prof. Oloyede condemned the “worrisome prevalence” of fake A-Level certificates, which are often used in Direct Entry applications to tertiary institutions. He said the Nigeria Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (NIPSED) was introduced as a centralised platform to curb such fraudulent practices by ensuring transparent data collection and validation in Nigeria’s post-secondary education sector.
“More heart-rending is the upload of 13 forged IJMB certificates by Professional Registration Centres (PRCs),” Oloyede noted, adding that the police are currently investigating these cases. So far, four suspects have been arrested and are assisting law enforcement in identifying the ringleaders behind the fake certificate syndicates.
The Registrar warned that preliminary investigations point to internal collaborators within some institutions, who are believed to be complicit in facilitating the submission of forged credentials.
In addition to concerns about academic fraud, Prof. Oloyede raised alarm over reports of extortion by some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, where candidates are being charged for services that are supposed to be free.
“This mind-boggling revelation is not good for the system,” he stated. “Staff must remain committed to their duties and avoid actions that could undermine the integrity of the Board.”
The crackdown comes amid JAMB’s ongoing push to uphold transparency and credibility in Nigeria’s admission process, particularly as it prepares for the main UTME.
JAMB has consistently warned that it will not tolerate misconduct or malpractice in the tertiary education admission process. The Board reiterated that all verified cases of fraud will be met with full legal consequences.