The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has confirmed the arrest of two candidates and a parent accused of falsifying results from the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) using artificial intelligence and other digital tools.
The development was announced on Friday alongside the release of results for 632,788 candidates who sat for the exam on Thursday, April 16.
JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said the suspects were caught manipulating official SMS result notifications to alter scores and mislead unsuspecting individuals, including parents and guardians.
He described the act as a serious offence, stressing that the board would not hesitate to take legal action against anyone found culpable in such practices.
Benjamin also warned candidates against attempting to tamper with result messages sent through JAMB’s official SMS channels, 55019 and 66019, noting that any form of result manipulation would attract strict consequences.
Candidates who participated in Thursday’s examination can check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the phone number linked to their registration. He added that the printing of official result slips would be made available later.
The 2026 UTME, which commenced on April 16, is scheduled to run until April 22 at centres nationwide, with results expected to be released in batches as the exercise continues.
- JAMB arrests candidates, parent over AI-Driven UTME result fraud - April 18, 2026
- Lagos expands public toilets, urges businesses to open restrooms - April 18, 2026
- Nigeria not poor, focus on inequality — Presidency - April 18, 2026
