The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially released the results for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with 39,834 results withheld due to suspected examination irregularities.
The announcement was made on Friday by JAMB’s Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, during the official release ceremony held at the board’s headquarters in Bwari.
Professor Oloyede noted that the withholding of these results was connected to the board’s ongoing efforts to curb examination malpractices. According to the JAMB registrar, a total of 80 individuals are currently under investigation for their involvement in exam-related offenses, with Anambra State recording the highest number of suspects.
Oloyede explained that the board had withheld the results of 39,834 candidates, with 1,426 of these under further scrutiny and processing.
He revealed that 96 results were specifically withheld because of exam malpractice, which marked a reduction from the previous year’s tally of 123. Additionally, there were 2,157 candidates whose fingerprints were rejected due to suspected registration issues, a matter which the board is still investigating.
In a broader look at the process, Oloyede noted that a total of 1,957,000 candidates had been verified for the examination, with 71,705 candidates absent on the exam day. The registrar highlighted the new challenges faced this year, particularly in the areas of identity fraud and biometric fraud.
Some of the major infractions involved impersonators at the registration stage, double registrations, and candidates attempting to substitute themselves during the exam. Furthermore, 244 candidates were caught engaging in “WhatsApp runs,” a form of cheating, and had their results withheld as a deterrent to others.
The board also uncovered a disturbing trend of collusion between certain CBT centers and syndicates to register candidates with multiple fingerprints. As a result, 3,656 candidates had their results withheld due to the use of “extraneous fingerprints.”
Several CBT centers were named in the investigation, including Tigh Technologies Limited, Sascon International School in Abuja, and Penta M &Amp; Centre 2 in Sokoto. These centers are now facing sanctions for their involvement in the malpractice.
As part of the ongoing investigations, Oloyede confirmed that 80 suspects are being questioned by the police for their role in the fraudulent activities, with many expected to face prosecution.
He also pointed out that 41,027 underage candidates had registered for the UTME, with 467 meeting the performance criteria. However, one of these candidates was disqualified due to involvement in malpractice.
The board also confirmed its support for 501 candidates with disabilities through the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group.
Regrettably, one of these candidates was also implicated in an impersonation case. Additionally, four CBT centers were delisted and blacklisted due to technical deficiencies and substandard performance. These centers included Saadatu Rimi College of Education in Zaria and Soronara Ventures in Imo State.
Despite the challenges and controversies surrounding the 2025 UTME results, Oloyede concluded that the examination process had been one of the most successful in recent years.
He reaffirmed JAMB’s commitment to a zero-tolerance policy on exam malpractice and promised to continue implementing innovative measures to preserve the credibility of the examination system.
Candidates can check their UTME results by texting ‘UTMERESULT’ to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number they registered with.
