The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has confirmed the arrest of two candidates and a parent for allegedly manipulating their 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results using artificial intelligence and other digital tools.
The examination body disclosed the development on Friday while announcing the release of results for over 600,000 candidates who participated in the exam on April 16.
According to JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the suspects were apprehended after attempting to falsify official result notifications sent via SMS. The manipulation, he said, was aimed at inflating scores and misleading parents and other stakeholders.
He described the act as a serious violation, stressing that the board would not tolerate any form of examination malpractice involving technology.
“We have two candidates and one parent currently in custody for result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement noted.
JAMB further warned candidates against tampering with the official result messages sent through its designated SMS channels, emphasizing that such actions carry legal consequences.
Candidates who participated in the examination can check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number linked to their registration. The board added that official result slips will be made available later.
The 2026 UTME, which began on April 16, is expected to run until April 22, with results being released in phases as the examination continues nationwide.