CBT Centers Proprietors Confess To UTME Registration Infractions, Plead For Leniency

Proprietors of computer-based test (CBT) centres implicated in registration infractions during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have expressed remorse for their actions.

During a meeting with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and other stakeholders in Abuja, the proprietors confessed to facilitating candidates’ fingerprint contributions during the registration process.

According to JAMB’s Bulletin released on Monday, the proprietors attributed the act to ignorance as well as the desire to attract more registrants to their centres.

The Proprietor, Jicoras CBT Centre, Jigawa State, Mr. Bashir Gumel, pleaded for leniency during the meeting stating that the centre had already commenced an internal probe to ascertain the level of culpability of its officials and promised to make the findings available to JAMB.

“We had summoned all of our Registration Officers to a meeting where we confronted them with what they had done and they had immediately confessed their crimes. To sustain the integrity of our institutions, this incident will not be swept under the carpet as the infractors will be made to face the consequences of their ignoble acts,” he said.

Gumel pleaded for leniency, stating that his centre had initiated an internal probe to determine the level of culpability of its officials.

“We promise that the action that will be taken would be communicated to the Board. This is the first time our centre will be implicated in an unwholesome act and we promised that this will never occur again,” he said.

Similarly, Proprietor of Emerald IT Academy Limited in Benin City, Edo State, Mr. Peter Edward, attributed the infractions to the desire to expedite the registration process and pay registration officials based on the number of candidates registered.

A registration officer, simply known as Kelechi, who had the highest number of fingerprint appearances in the registration template of 172 candidates, admitted to contributing fingerprints to fast-track the registration process. “It was ignorance, not malice,” Kelechi said, imploring JAMB management for forgiveness.

Recall that JAMB has called for tough penalties for 11 Computer‑Based Test (CBT) centres and their registrants involved in fingerprint irregularities during registration for the 2025 UTME.

Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said the measures, which still require the approval of the Education Minister, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, are intended to protect the integrity of the examination process.

“The leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board with some critical stakeholders here recommends as follows: That any registrant who has registered more than 50 candidates (with infractions) should be dismissed from participating in any activities of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

“And what that means, is that such a person will not participate in any UTME exercise, will not be registered for the UTME even as a student, and will not be allowed to participate in any of the sister examinations, be it WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, and this is to be for three years.

“The suspension is to stay for three years. After three years, the Board will revisit it and look at the issue. If the registrant has shown any remorse, such a suspension could be lifted.

“And others who have registered less than 50 will be warned and they will be required to write a letter of apology to the Board after issuing a bond, indicating that they will not be involved in such a thing again.

“Then for CBT centres, all CBT centres involved are to be warned and then they will be asked to sign a bond. And beside the bond, they will also be required to give evidence of training of their registrants.

“And that training should be anchored by any of the federal universities within their vicinity. That training should be anchored by the appropriate department of the university within their vicinity,” Oloyede said through JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who read out the recommendations.

CBT Centers Proprietors Confess To UTME Registration Infractions, Plead For Leniency is first published on The Whistler Newspaper