JAMB Arrests 40 Impersonators as Parents Protest Early Exam Resumption Time

 The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has arrested no fewer than 40 individuals for impersonating candidates during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which began on April 24 and will run until May 5, 2025. 

The arrests, announced on April 27, 2025, are part of JAMB’s efforts to curb examination malpractice, with the suspects now facing prosecution. JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, lamented the persistent issue of impersonation despite the board’s adoption of advanced biometric verification and other anti-cheating measures at over 700 accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers nationwide, where 2,030,627 candidates are registered.

The arrests come amid growing discontent among parents and guardians over JAMB’s 6:30 a.m. resumption time for the exams, which many argue is too early, especially for candidates traveling long distances. A mother, Nnem Chacha-Gold, told Punch Newspapers that her daughter had to leave their Ejigbo home at 4:30 a.m. to reach her exam center in Ikorodu, Lagos, by 6:30 a.m., only to face restrictions on parental access at the venue. 

Another parent from Awoyaya, Lekki, expressed concern that her 14-year-old son might miss his exam due to the distance to his Ikorodu center. Social media activist Rinu Oduala criticized the policy on X, questioning the logic of scheduling exams so early and expecting teenagers to travel over 50 kilometers, calling it a “nonsensical policy.”

The early resumption time has led to extreme measures, with reports of candidates sleeping outside exam centers to meet the deadline, raising safety concerns. A 16-year-old candidate, Esther Oladele, reportedly went missing en route to her center, though her family later confirmed her safe return, expressing gratitude for community support. JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, defended the schedule, stating it ensures timely commencement and minimizes disruptions, but acknowledged challenges in Nigeria’s context, where remote testing is impractical due to integrity issues. He urged candidates to arrive early and promised continued efforts to sanitize the examination process. The controversy has sparked calls for JAMB to review its scheduling and center allocation policies to better accommodate candidates’ logistical challenges.