Victoria Mbangwa
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a staggering 585 fake A-Level certificates in just 2025, sparking concerns over the growing threat of academic fraud.
As a result of the investigation, four suspects have already been arrested, with the authorities now closing in on the masterminds behind this criminal operation.
Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB’s Registrar, made the alarming announcement during a confidential staff meeting on April 2, 2025, shedding light on the disturbing trend. “The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has uncovered about 585 fake A-level certificates in 2025 alone,” Oloyede said, emphasizing the Board’s commitment to tackling this widespread issue head-on.
According to Oloyede, the discovery was made possible by the Nigeria Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (NIPDS), a platform designed to manage and monitor post-secondary education data in the country. The findings included 13 counterfeit certificates from the Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) that had been uploaded by Professional Registration Centres, which are now under investigation.
The police have apprehended four individuals so far, and they are currently assisting in the pursuit of other members of the syndicate, including those within educational institutions who may be complicit. “The investigation has revealed that some internal collaborators may be aiding and abetting this misconduct,” Oloyede revealed, raising the alarm about potential corruption within the system.
In addition to the fake certificates, Oloyede also decried reports of extortion by Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers, where candidates were charged for services that should have been free of charge. This development has further tarnished the image of JAMB, prompting Oloyede to urge all staff to uphold the integrity of the Board and work towards restoring public trust in the examination process.
The ongoing investigation is expected to uncover more about the depth of the fraud and expose those responsible for undermining the nation’s educational standards. With four arrests already made, JAMB and the police are determined to stamp out this criminal network once and for all.
