Cybercrime: JAMB hands over 38 CBT centre owners for prosecution

Isola Moses

For allegedly committing infractions in the ongoing online registration of candidates for the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) examination, using the Virtual Private Network (VPN), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Wednesday, January 29, handed over 38 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre owners to security agents for prosecution.

ConsumerConnect gathered that Board had accused about 38 CBT centres owners of allegedly involving in infractions in UTME and DE registration, and subsequently invited them to a meeting at its headquarters in Abuja, FCT, from where they were cornered and handed over to the police.

Report says a representative from the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), other members of security agents, and staff of the public examination Board attended the meeting.

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, JAMB, who later addressed reporters at the end of the meeting, said JAMB, in its incessant efforts at combating examination malpractices had decided to focus more on CBT centres and the infractions they commit from the point of the 2020 registration of candidates.

Prof. Oloyede explained that some of the crimes committed involved submission of fictitious names and fake NIN numbers to the Board by the centre owners, as officers that would participate in the exercise.

He alleged that some of the NIN numbers included candidates’ numbers, duplicated, and sent to the Board as NINs for registration officers, who were later discovered non-existent.

He also said that some of the CBT owners extended the VPN on their computers already registered by the board, to extend the point of registration to undesignated locations.

He said: “As far as I am concerned, a prima facie case has been established against all involved, and they will go and give their statements to the Police.

“Our present technology enables us to track all registration officers, either adhoc or permanent JAMB staff through the National Identification Numbers (NINs).

“All designated computers used for the registration have also been duly registered by the Board which enables tracking and has successfully led us to crimes committed by some of the centres,” he added.

The JAMB Registrar, therefore, has appealed to candidates and their parents to “go through the normal process of this exercise. Those who go to unaccredited centres, thinking it will work on their favour, would have themselves to blame.

“Our position remains to have the incoming generation have a better society,” Oloyede said.