JAMB denies report on UTME scores reduction

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has described as
fake, a trending report that scores of candidates who sat for the
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are being reduced.

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar

The board in a statement signed by its Head of Media and Publicity,
Dr Fabian Benjamin, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said the report was false.

The report had claimed that scores of candidates who sat for the UTME
and were found wanting by the board were being reduced by 100 marks.

JAMB said that an investigation carried out discovered that the fake
news emanated from a gang who coordinated from a town called Igarra in
Edo state with affiliates in Lagos and other states.

The board described the act as fraudulent and meant to extort parents and candidates.

“A gang being coordinated from a town called Igarra in Edo State with
affiliates in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Abia, Anambra and Plateau states are
circulating fake notice of impending reduction of UTME scores.

“This is with intent to extort and defraud parents and candidates.

“Candidates results would be received on their registered cell phones
as soon as the ongoing scrutiny of the examination centers is completed
and publicly announced.

“Only the fraudulent candidates or parents stand being defrauded on this matter,” the board said.

Benjamin had in an interview on Sunday warned
candidates not to be carried away by rumours and misleading information
in some sections of the media, especially the social media.

He also said that the board distanced itself from such rumours about
releasing results of candidates of the just concluded UTME and steps to
check these results as being speculated.