In a sweeping crackdown on examination malpractice, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force have arrested at least 20 suspects in connection with the hacking of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), a computer-based test conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
According to reports by African Independent Television (AIT), the suspects are believed to be part of a sophisticated syndicate comprising over 100 individuals. The group allegedly specializes in hacking the computer servers of key examination bodies, including JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Security sources told Hobnob News that the arrested individuals have confessed to deliberately sabotaging JAMB’s CBT infrastructure. Their objective, according to confessions, was to undermine public trust in the digital testing system and discourage its adoption for future examinations administered by NECO and the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
“The syndicate would install attacking software directly on the hardware of examination bodies. This software enabled remote access to JAMB servers at targeted CBT centres,” a security operative quoted one of the suspects as saying.
Further investigations revealed that the hackers’ operations were financially motivated. “Special candidates” who wished to secure inflated scores reportedly paid between ₦700,000 and ₦2 million for the service. Preliminary findings also indicate that several of the suspects own private schools and colleges, which serve as breeding grounds for these illegal activities through so-called “special centres.”
Authorities say the arrests mark the beginning of an intensified campaign to root out digital examination fraud and restore credibility to Nigeria’s education assessment system.
The DSS and Police have vowed to continue their investigations, with more arrests expected in the coming weeks. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has not yet issued a formal statement but is said to be cooperating fully with the security agencies.
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