The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that at least 40 individuals have been arrested and are currently facing prosecution for impersonating candidates during the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The 2025 UTME, which began on Thursday, April 24, and will run until Monday, May 5, has seen over 2,030,627 candidates sit for the examination across accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.
However, the conduct of the examination has been marred by concerns from parents and guardians, who have criticised the directive requiring candidates to report to their centres by 6:30 am. Many argued that the early reporting time places unnecessary stress on candidates, some of whom must travel several kilometres before dawn to reach their assigned centres.
A mother from Awoyaya, Lekki, Lagos, lamented that her 14-year-old son was posted to a centre in Ikorodu, stating he would need to leave home by 4:00 am to meet the 6:30 am check-in time.
“This is wickedness,” she said. “JAMB should review this policy. 6:30 am is too early for teenagers to report for an exam.”
Similar grievances flooded social media platforms. On X (formerly Twitter), users shared experiences of candidates who had to travel long distances or even sleep over at closer locations to meet up. A guardian, Olaoluwa Yinka, criticised the situation, recalling that when he wrote JAMB, his examination was scheduled for 9:00 am.
Social activist Rinu Oduala also joined the conversation, questioning why teenagers are expected to travel over 50 kilometres to reach exam centres at such an early hour.
One mother, Nnem Chacha-Gold, narrated how she accompanied her daughter from Ejigbo to Ikorodu at dawn, only to be told that parents were not allowed into the centres. She said she learned some candidates had slept outside the centres to avoid missing the exam.
In a related incident, a 16-year-old candidate, Esther Oladele, went missing after reportedly boarding the wrong bus while traveling from Ajah to Epe for her examination. Her brother, who identified himself as Richard on X, raised the alarm, sharing a disturbing message Esther had sent before losing contact:
“I’m scared. I think I entered the wrong car, and my eyes are itchy. E be like say I want to sleep.”
The online community rallied to find her, and after nearly 48 hours, Esther was located in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. She was found disoriented but safe, prompting an outpouring of relief and gratitude across social media.
Responding to the outcry, JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, clarified that the actual examination begins at 8:00 am daily, not 6:00 am or 6:30 am as many believed. He explained that candidates are expected to arrive by 6:30 am for necessary pre-examination checks to ensure a smooth process.
“Our exams start at 8 am. There is no exam at 6:30 am,” Benjamin said. “But candidates need to arrive early for biometric verification and other procedures.”
He further explained that without early arrival, candidates risk missing important formalities, and warned that latecomers would not be allowed to sit for the examination.
Benjamin also commented on the challenge of introducing remote CBT exams in Nigeria, noting that while other countries conduct exams from home, the high rate of examination malpractice in Nigeria makes such a system currently impractical.
“If Nigerians want comfort, we must first embrace transparency,” he said. “Until then, centralized in-person exams remain the best option.”
Despite the challenges, JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the UTME and ensuring a fair process for all candidates.
