JAMB Arrests 2 Candidates, Parent For Using AI To Forge UTME Results

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the arrest of two candidates and a parent over the falsification of 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results using artificial intelligence (AI) and other electronic tools.

The Board made this known on Friday while releasing the results of 632,788 candidates who sat for the examination on Thursday, April 16.

In a statement, JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said the suspects were apprehended for manipulating official SMS result notifications to alter scores and mislead unsuspecting individuals, including parents and guardians.

“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement said.

Benjamin described the act as a serious criminal offence, warning that the Board would ensure that all those involved face the full weight of the law.

He also cautioned candidates against tampering with result messages sent through JAMB’s official SMS platforms – 55019 and 66019.

LEADERSHIP reports that candidates who wrote the examination on Thursday can check their results by sending ‘UTMERESULT’ via SMS to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number used for their registration. He added that the printing of official result slips would be made available at a later date.

The 2026 UTME, which commenced on April 16, is scheduled to run until April 22 at accredited CBT centres nationwide, with results to be released in batches as the examination progresses.