By Nsan Neji
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the 2025 mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), held on 28 June.
According to a statement from the Board, only 11,161 candidates sat for the mop-up exam out of the 96,838 candidates who were scheduled, representing a turnout of just over 12 percent nationwide.
JAMB explained that the low turnout followed intensified security measures introduced to curb impersonation and other examination malpractices. The Board disclosed that candidates who are unable to access their results likely failed to follow the instruction of sending “UTMERESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number used for their UTME registration.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said many Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres that were expecting 250 candidates per session recorded fewer than 20 participants, a scenario he described as anticipated.
“The low turnout is largely due to the intensified scrutiny and security checks, which deterred those who participated in exam malpractice or relied on impersonation. We received intelligence from security agencies and acted accordingly,” Oloyede said.
He further revealed that some candidates tried to exploit the system by falsely claiming to be albinos in an attempt to bypass facial recognition protocols. The Board uncovered 1,787 candidates who identified as albino, but investigations found that the majority of these claims were fraudulent.
“The Board is not unaware of these schemes. Those who falsely declared themselves as albino and failed to appear for the exam will be tracked. We will hold them accountable,” the JAMB boss stated.
Prof. Oloyede also warned that parents who sponsor or encourage examination malpractice would face investigation and possible prosecution, as part of a wider effort to sanitise the nation’s educational assessment system.
Converseer reports that the mop-up examination was introduced to accommodate candidates affected by technical disruptions or exclusion during the main UTME. However, the massive absenteeism appears to confirm earlier suspicions of widespread impersonation during the main exercise.