Academic Crime: How Ejikeme Mmesoma admitted she forged UTME result –Anambra Panel

*The Committee of Inquiry set up by the Anambra State Government of Nigeria, in its report, discloses that Ms. Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, a 2023 UTME candidate, has explained how she manipulated her result, using the same Airtel mobile phone number

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Despite her initial rigmarole, attendant confusion, denials, and wide-ranging reactions from cross-sections of Nigerians trailing the alleged forgery of her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Ms. Mmesoma Joy Ejikeme eventually, has confirmed to the Committee of Inquiry, which the Anambra State Government of Nigeria set up to look into the examination fraud, that she manipulated her UTME result.

ConsumerConnect had reported the leadership of the country’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had consistently maintained that the candidate forged her examination result.

The young student of the Anglican Girls Secondary School, in Nnewi, Anambra State, disclosed to the Government’s Committee of Inquiry that  how she used her mobile phone to manipulate and score herself 362 as against her actual score of 249, as released by JAMB.

The Committee, in its eight-page report, Saturday, July 8, 2023, stated Mmasoma actually admitted that she manipulated the fake result herself, using her phone.

Hitherto, Mmesoma has gained the attention of Nigerians recently, following the controversy generated by the genuiness  or otherwise of her UTME result.

Mmasoma and manipulated UTME result for N3m scholarship

It is called that after JAMB had released this year’s UTME results May, young Mmesoma was widely celebrated as the top scorer in the examination after coming out with a score of 362.

Subsequently, her false claim of being the top scorer in the UTME had attracted her a scholarship worth ₦‎3 million from Chief Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing Limited, based in Anambra State.

The public examination regulatory Board, however, moved to counter Mmesoma’s claim of being the highest scorer in the 2023 UTME.

The Management of JAMB, in a statement,  said the student faked the result she was parading, describing it as a “patiently  fake” result.

The examination body rather restated that Mmesoma actually scored 249 and not 362.

Anambra State Committee’s investigation, findings

In an attempt to establish the truth in the weight allegation fast gaining momentum and keen interest among Nigerians, Governor (Prof.) Chukwuma Soludo set up a Committee of Inquiry to investigate the matter.

The Committee in its report endorsed by Paul Nwosu, Honourable Commissioner for Information in the state, noted it conducted interviews with relevant parties, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials, and other individual(s) involved in the process as well as the principal of Anglican Girls Secondary School.

The Committee’s report also indicated that JAMB revealed that Mmesoma made several requests to JAMB, asking for her result and each of the times, she received in her phone “the same score of 249 total aggregate”.

According to the Committee, in Mmesoma’s submission, the candidate owned up in the presence of her principal and Education Secretary, that the position of JAMB officials, including Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of JAMB, was a true and correct description of what really happened.

Why Mmesoma manipulated her UTME result?

The report further stated the Committee tried to find out the motive behind her action, but Mmesoma replied that nothing motivated her.

The Committee of Inquiry as well noted in the report said Mmesoma is expected to tender a written apology to JAMB, the Anglican Girls Secondary, and the Anambra State Government respectively.

Other key highlights of Committee’s report

The report further stated: “Recall Mr. Governor that with the recent release of scores of candidates who applied for admission by the JAMB and subsequent announcement of Nkechiyere Umeh as the candidate with the highest score of 360, Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, a 19-year-old student of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi, from Enugu State, protested to the state government that she scored 362 and ought to have been so recognised.

“This has elicited interest and generated serious controversy and misgivings among the general public that the state government in its wisdom decided to constitute a committee of inquiry to look into the under-listed terms of reference; review Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB results and associated documents.

“Conduct interviews with relevant parties, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials and any other individual(s) involved in the process. Provide recommendations based on the findings of the investigation.

“The Committee invited Mmesoma, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, and officials of JAMB for an interactive session with the Committee.

“JAMB officials led by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Head of Public Affairs presented the detailed processes and procedures involved in JAMB admissions, the policy changes that have occurred in the release of UTME scores since 2021 and what specifically transpired between the candidate Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with registration number: 20230639047FF in her quest to obtain her JAMB score.

“JAMB revealed the different times that Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma made several requests to the JAMB portal asking for her results at different hours, and each of these times (four in number), she received in her phone, same results from JAMB indicating candidate’s UTME Results to Wit: Eng: 64, Phy:54, Bio: 74, Che: 57 with a total aggregate score of 249.

“JAMB disclosed that the candidate was well informed of her correct score.

“Mmesoma had sent a request to JAMB with a different registration number showing a UTME result of an aggregate score of 362, with Eng: 98, Phy: 89, Bio: 94, and Che: 81.

“The results she sent differed substantially from the standard JAMB format where she got an appropriate rebuttal stating her real score of 249.

“A number of red flags were also highlighted by JAMB officials, showing a different date of birth, different Registration Number, and Notification of results template that has been discarded since 2021, amongst others.

“It was also evident that even the centre name ‘Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development as it was known before now) used for the examination was also manipulated where the candidate used the old name of the centre (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development) in her own manipulated result sheet.

“In Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s submission, she owned up in the presence of her principal, and the Education Secretary that the narration by the JAMB officials was a true and correct description of what transpired.

“She also admitted to having given a manipulated result by herself unaided, using the same phone Airtel Number.

“According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results she had manipulated.

“The Committee tried to find out the motive behind her action, but Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma said nothing.

“In their own submissions, the Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu, Nnewi, and the Education Secretary — Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) expressed shock at what transpired where in their presence, Mmesoma admitted to have manipulated her UTME results, deceiving the school, her immediate family and the state government.”

Committee applauds JAMB for diligence, helpful information

Meanwhile, the Anambra State Government’s Committee of Inquiry has  commended JAMB for its diligent handling of the matter, and the information supplied about the interface with the UTME candidate.

The report stated: “We hope that this unearthing of the truth as we have discovered will go a long way in correcting the sentiments, misconceptions and deceptions that have been in the public domain.”

Kindly Share This Story