The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, has uncovered and disrupted a sophisticated examination malpractice syndicate during the conduct of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Delta State.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, the incident occurred at the College of Education Warri examination centre during the ongoing UTME exercise.
Preliminary investigations revealed that unauthorised remote access was illegally gained into candidates’ computer systems while the examination was ongoing, through technology-assisted fraud.
Acting on credible intelligence and digital forensic leads, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force carried out coordinated operations which led to the arrest of three suspects directly linked to the criminal activity. The suspects are currently in police custody assisting ongoing investigations.
The police also disclosed that investigations have uncovered the involvement of additional examination centres suspected to have engaged in similar illegal activities.
As part of immediate administrative measures, JAMB has withdrawn results from affected centres pending the conclusion of investigations. Candidates affected by the development will be rescheduled for the mop-up examination in line with established procedures.
The police warned candidates, Computer-Based Test centre operators, and criminal collaborators to desist from engaging in any form of examination malpractice, cyber-assisted fraud, or unauthorised system intrusion. Reaffirming its commitment to protecting the credibility of Nigeria’s educational system, the police vowed to continue tracking and prosecuting criminal networks behind examination fraud.
