The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has urged parents to desist from making baseless allegations against universities over perceived unfair denial of admission to their children.

In a statement issued on Sunday by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the board addressed several recent complaints, including one involving Mr. Godwin Nsan, who accused the University of Calabar of unjustly denying his son admission.

JAMB clarified that the candidate scored 201 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with an aggregate of 34%, which fell short of the university’s cut-off marks—55% for merit, 35% for catchment areas, and 35% for Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS).

“He had unfairly criticized the university, but when he provided the necessary details, it became evident that his child did not meet the required criteria,” Benjamin explained.

Another senior public figure alleged admission irregularities at Modibbo Adama University, Yola. However, JAMB’s investigation found the claims to be unfounded.

Similarly, a father alleged that his son, who scored 345 in UTME, was unjustly denied admission by the University of Jos. Upon reviewing the case at JAMB’s headquarters, it was revealed that the candidate ranked 86th, while the university could admit only 68 candidates on merit.

“In some universities, a score of 345 might place a candidate as low as 300th, depending on the number of applicants. The father later apologized after understanding the ranking process,” Benjamin stated.

JAMB also cautioned against the misuse of the “exceptionally brilliant window,” which allows candidates under 16 to apply for university admission. The board noted that an unusually high number of candidates are being registered under this category, contrary to global standards where only a few qualify.

Reaffirming its commitment to fair and transparent admissions, JAMB disclosed that a senior university official is currently facing prosecution for admission fraud, with four others under investigation.

“We urge parents to avoid hasty conclusions without considering the competitive nature of the admission process. UTME serves as a ranking examination, determining candidates’ placement among thousands competing for limited university slots,” Benjamin emphasized.