20 WAEC officials arrested for ‘aiding exam malpractice’

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) says it has handed over 20 school officials allegedly aiding and abetting malpractice during the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to the police for prosecution.

NAN reports that Patrick Areghan, head of WAEC Nigeria, spoke about the development on the sidelines of a monitoring exercise he carried out in some schools on Thursday in Lagos state.

Areghan said the officials were arrested across various parts of the country.

“The issue of examination malpractice can no longer be treated with kid gloves. It is no longer business as usual, as it has completely eroded morals and values in our society. It is taking a dangerous dimension, which, if not tackled will bring our country to its knees,” he said.

“Now, since the commencement of this examination, we have deployed our technology, designed to catch examination cheats and we are happy with the results we have gotten so far.

“For instance, in Ibadan, Oyo, where we have our zonal office, which takes care of Osun, Kwara and Oyo itself, we made three arrests in a school and for the purpose of confidentiality, I will not mention the name.

“There, a supervisor at a centre, principal and invigilator were all arrested. They were arrested for allegedly snapping and posting the questions to some platforms, thereby, aiding and abetting examination malpractices.’’

The WAEC head in Nigeria said in Maiduguri, Borno state, a teacher and principal were also arrested. He further revealed that similar arrests were made in Abia, Oyo, Kaduna, and Osun states.

He described the act as “a monumental disgrace,” adding that the arrests would continue until the end of the examination.

Areghan enjoined candidates not to allow their future to be compromised by the people promising to “assist” them pass their examination through illegal means.