In a sweeping crackdown on academic fraud, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that it uncovered 585 fake A-level certificates in 2025 alone. This alarming disclosure was made by the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during a virtual closed-door meeting with board staff on April 2, 2025, as part of preparations for this year’s Mock UTME and UTME examinations.

A transcript of the meeting, published in the latest edition of the JAMB Weekly Bulletin and obtained by The PUNCH, details the extent of the fraudulent activity. Oloyede condemned the “worrisome prevalence” of forged advanced-level credentials, noting that the trend undermines the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary education admissions system.

He attributed the creation of the Nigeria Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (NIPSED) to the need to stem such malpractice. “The system was designed to manage and monitor data across post-secondary institutions, making it harder for forgeries to go undetected,” he stated.

More troubling, according to Oloyede, is the discovery that 13 of the fake IJMB certificates were uploaded by Professional Registration Centres. These centres are now under investigation, and four suspects have been arrested and are cooperating with law enforcement agencies. Investigators believe the forged certificates are part of a broader examination cartel, possibly involving insiders within tertiary institutions.

In a related development, JAMB is also probing reports of extortion by some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, where candidates were allegedly charged for services that are meant to be free. The Registrar described this as “mind-boggling” and urged staff to recommit to upholding the board’s integrity.

The unfolding scandal has cast a spotlight on institutional vulnerabilities and the need for stronger oversight and accountability across Nigeria’s education system.