JAMB hands 180 candidates to police over ‘exam malpractices’

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has handed over 180 of this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Exam (UTME) candidates to police authorities for prosecution over alleged involvement in examination malpractices.

Fabian Benjamin, the board’s head of media and information, disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing journalists in Abuja.

He said 70 percent of the candidates, who were arrested in centres across the country, have been arraigned while the rest are being investigated on suspicion of having committed malpractices.

“They are about 180 candidates. We arrested them all over the country. We are harmonising the list and following up on it to ensure that all of them are arraigned,” he said.

“Most of them have been arraigned already, seventy percent of them. When the arraignment is concluded, we will give a comprehensive report.

“They are all with the police. So the police will prosecute them. We don’t have prosecuting powers. When the police start prosecution, they will certainly get across to us.

“When we get to a stage that is important for everyone to know, we will let you know. But some of them have already been arraigned by the police.”

On Saturday, JAMB had concluded its 2020 exams, after which it temporarily suspended all activities requiring physical contacts in all its offices and centres over the COVID-19 outbreak.