JAMB accuses UniAbuja of offering illegal admissions

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says some tertiary institutions are allegedly issuing admission without recourse to its central admissions processing system (CAPS).

Fabian Benjamin, the board’s national public affairs head, raised the alarm in a statement on Tuesday.

He also listed the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) among the institutions conducting illegal admission.

In the statement, JAMB warned that admissions not approved on its CAPS are null and void.

“The attention of the Board has been drawn to the illegitimate admissions purportedly being conducted by some universities, including the University of Abuja,” the board’s statement read in part.

“These universities have been reported to be issuing admission letters to candidates without recourse to the board.

“It would be recalled that the board instituted CAPS in 2017 as an automated platform designed to ensure that admissions are transparently done to protect the interest of all Nigerians desirous of tertiary education.

“It is, therefore, pertinent to state that such admissions that have not been proposed, approved nor accepted on the Central Admissions Processing System(CAPS) are null and void, and as such, asking hapless candidates to pay acceptance fees for such admissions that had not been processed through CAPS amounts to illegality.

“Such admissions are illegal, unacceptable, and offensive to extant rules and regulations guiding admissions to tertiary institutions in Nigeria as approved by the Federal Ministry of Education and provided on CAPS.”

The board also warned applicants against paying acceptance fee for admissions done outside CAPS.

“Any institution violating this well-intentioned guideline has much to hide and the Board would not shy away from its responsibility of ensuring compliance to laid-down admission guidelines,” it added.

“The board will not relent in its efforts to ensure that no institution violates the extant admission guidelines.

“Candidates are advised, in their own interest, not to accept such admissions done outside the purview of JAMB nor pay any acceptance fee as such admissions will never be allowed to stand.”