Alleged Fake Result: JAMB Bars Mmesoma for Three Years

•Insists no candidate scored 362  

•Oloyede: She was either duped or member of high-level syndicate engaging in fake UTME results 

•Group calls for comprehensive, independent investigation

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Uchechukwu Nnaike in Lagos

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has barred Miss Ejikeme Mmesoma, the candidate accused of falsifying her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result from taking its exam for the next three years

The examination body also withdrew the 249, which it claimed was her real score.

JAMB had earlier insisted that no candidate scored 362 in this year’s UTME that it conducted in April, in reaction to the evidence presented by Mmesoma to prove that she scored 362 in the examination.

The examination body’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, who announced this in a statement yesterday, said: “In the meantime, the management of the board, after considering the weighty infraction committed by Ms. Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, and in line with its established procedures, has withdrawn her 2023 UTME result and also barred her from sitting the board’s examination for the next three years.”

He said the candidate’s claim was an attempt to re-write the truth.

“Consequently, the board would like to reassure Nigerians that its system was neither tampered with nor compromised as the candidate simply falsified a copy of a result slip of a candidate named “Asimiyu Mariam Omobolanle”, who sat the UTME in 2021 and scored 138.

“It is also instructive to note that the candidate, in her statement, has inadvertently revealed the rightful owner of the result she is parading when she pointed out that the QR code on the result slip showed the actual owner of the said result before she peddled a lie in an attempt to obfuscate the truth.

“To witness the unassailable position of the board regarding this obvious falsehood, the general public is, therefore, urged to endeavour to scan the QR code on the result slip to see its actual owner before it was mutilated.

“It is to be noted that the QR code encapsulates the UTME result of each candidate, hence, what is on the result sheet is nothing other than the interpretation of the information on this QR code.”

Benjamin added: “Furthermore, the public is also to note that the board stopped issuing Notification of Result slips after the 2021 UTME for the simple reason that candidates were falsifying them. Consequently, the board has been issuing actual UTME result slips (not notification of results ) since 2022 complete with the photograph of each candidate,” he said.

On the bad publicity the controversy has generated for the board, Benjamin said it was unperturbed, saying it was not the first time such fraudulent claims have been made.

He cited an incident in 2021, where a candidate, John Chinedu Ifesinachi, wrote a letter to the board, threatening to sue for N2 billion damages, only for him and his counsel to tender unreserved apology when the candidate eventually confessed his crime in the face of incontrovertible facts in an open investigation observed by several national public institutions including the Public Complaints Commission, National Human Rights Commission, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council, Servicom and media houses.

He said the board regrets the different colouration added by some, “unwholesome” interests who are ready to lead the candidate to a destructive end, urging those doing that to desist from such move.

“Again, the board restates its readiness for genuine scrutiny as this case would not be the first time and might not even be the last of such shenanigans. At the end of the day, the truth would manifest and the board vindicated.

“In the meantime, the management of the board urges members of the public to examine critically the issue at hand and avoid fake news trafficking,” the statement read.

In his reaction, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, stated that investigations by the board revealed that Mmesoma was either duped or was a member of a high-level syndicate engaging in manufacturing fake UTME results.

Oloyede stated: “There are security features on our results, so I can emphasise that the girl is just trying to deceive the public. Her result is completely fake. Her claim that she printed the result from our site is a lie, totally incorrect. If we should reveal all that we know, people will be shocked. So if people are looking for shortcuts to achieve an end, that is what would happen.”

He said the matter had nothing to do with JAMB’s system, insisting that nobody hacked into its system and that the result did not emanate from its system.

“The result she is holding is completely fake because we are able to track everything printed from our system,” he stressed.

The examination body disclosed that there were many syndicates engaging in the manufacturing of fake results, who have been successfully scamming unsuspecting persons.

Oloyede said some of the scammers even tried to record his voice so they could clone it to prove that he already confirmed the girl’s result as authentic. He said the board has handed the girl over to the security operatives, but she is on bail.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the federal government, the National Child Rights Implementation Committee, and the Anambra State Government to initiate an immediate and discreet investigation into the activities of JAMB.

The civil right group called for further investigation against the Registrar of JAMB, including the allegations of partisanship and inefficiency surrounding its current head, Oloyede.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko said the investigation should cover the alleged Igbophobic discrimination, gross incompetence, and flagrant violation of the child rights of Miss Mmesoma.

According to Onwubiko, “We stand firm in condemning JAMB’s actions and call for justice to be served.”

HURIWA stated that the recent case of Mmesoma’s alleged fake JAMB score had ignited a firestorm of public outrage across national dailies and social media platforms.

Onwubiko said JAMB, without proper substantiation, accused the candidate of manipulating her UTME result to fraudulently obtain scholarships and recognition.

According Onwubiko,  “This reckless and seemingly official statement has resulted in a relentless condemnation of an innocent girl who achieved the highest score in the JAMB examination.

“It is worth noting that JAMB has failed to provide crucial details, such as how the alleged manipulation occurred, when it happened, whether it was an individual act or involved a group of individuals, or even the specific app or software supposedly used to hack JAMB’s database or server.

“It is clear that the distinction between manual and electronic manipulation has been deliberately blurred by JAMB.

“By launching these baseless accusations against Miss Ejikeme, JAMB has not only undermined her reputation but has also shown a complete disregard for her rights as a child, as outlined in the Child Rights Act of 2003,” he stated.

Quoting the child Rights Act  Section 11(c) of the Act, the HURIWA National Coordinator said, “this explicitly states that every child is entitled to respect for their dignity and should not be subjected to attacks upon their honor or reputation. JAMB’s actions have demonstrated either a gross ignorance of or contempt for Nigerian laws, particularly those protecting the rights of children.”

In view of this, HURIWA said, “We firmly believe that JAMB’s motive behind this senseless attack on Miss Ejikeme is rooted in Igbophobic discrimination. The repeated mention of Anambra State and INNOSON in their ill-advised public statement suggests a biased agenda aimed at undermining a young girl’s achievements simply because of her geographical and ethnic background.”

HURIWA demanded  that JAMB be held accountable for its actions, urging the candidate to pursue legal recourse and seek adequate compensation for the damages she had suffered.