*Extends admission deadline for public varsities to Nov.22
*Reports six secondary schools to Federal Ministry of Education for Irregularities
“As I speak with you, some deputy registrars are being tried by the ICPC. Some deputy vice -chancellors, not less than 17, including four JAMB staff members, are in prison custody. We took them to the ICPC. Those who want to go to jail should do so knowingly, not by accident.
By Olawale Lamina
Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board,JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, has disclosed that the body uncovered that no fewer than 15,000 candidates forged their admission letters to be eligible for the national service organised by the National Youth Service Corps,NYSC.
Prof. Oloyede informed that the board has commenced the prosecution of the perpetrators for alleged forgery of admission letters.
He made the disclosure on Monday 3 November, marking the year’s Batch C pre-mobilisation workshop organised by NYSC in Abuja.
He stated that 17 deputy vice chancellors (DVCs), deputy Registrars, and four JAMB’s workers, are in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the alleged forgery.
He said: “One day, I ran to your predecessor (referring to DG of the NYSC) because I couldn’t believe that 15,000 candidates forged admission letters.
“As I speak with you, some deputy registrars are being tried by the ICPC. Some deputy vice -chancellors, not less than 17, including four JAMB staff members, are in prison custody. We took them to the ICPC. Those who want to go to jail should do so knowingly, not by accident.
“I want to advice you: follow the rules and you will have less problems. I suggest you follow the right path and you will see that most of the problems that are self-created by you will be eliminated, ” stated the Registrar
Speaking, the NYSC’s Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, cautioned stakeholders not to allow the mobilisation process to suffer disrepute.
The DG blamed the trend on unqualified individuals attempting to infiltrate the system. said the NYSC continued to experience cases of forged credentials, multiple registrations, and identity theft at the hands of the perpetrators.
The NYSC boss noted that the challenge is a direct threat to the credibility of the mobilisation process of the organization.
“We all know that mobilising eligible Nigerian graduates for national service remains central to the NYSC’s mandate. As a matter of fact, mobilisation is the gateway to the service year and a vital link in preparing young Nigerian graduates for national integration and development. This key aspect of our operations can, therefore, not be allowed to suffer disrepute.
“Over the years, the NYSC has earned public confidence for its transparent mobilisation process. We were able to do this in the analogue era and managed to transition that confidence to the digital era. For about 11 years now, we have continued to build digital databank, and our mobilisation process is today almost fully digitised, ” said DG NYSC.
Also, the NYSC’s Director of Corps Mobilisation, Rachel Idaewor, noted that the scheme had recorded remarkable progress in its mobilisation efforts in recent years, largely due to innovative approaches and enhanced cooperation.
“Nevertheless, significant challenges remain, particularly concerning data integrity. The fraudulent uploading of unqualified persons continues to affect the credibility of our mobilisation process negatively,” Idaewor said.
The Director of Corps Mobilisation called on participants at the workshop to address contemporary issues affecting the mobilisation process.
“The integrity of our data is not just a technical challenge; it has far-reaching implications for the personal and professional futures of our youth. Accurate, reliable data forms the backbone of any successful operational strategy, enabling us to effectively mobilise our youth for national service,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, the JAMB says it has extended this year’s admission deadline for public universities from October 31 to November 17. The extension was made known by JAMB in its weekly bulletin, in response to recent issues affecting the ongoing admissions process in several institutions.
JAMB said that the decision was reached after appeals from Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU), besides new accreditation developments that required additional time for implementation. But the board warned that there would be no further extension of the new date.
The board restated that the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held on July 18 and chaired by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, had originally set October 31 as the deadline for all public universities to conclude admissions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
JAMB also cited the recent accreditation of new academic programmes as a major reason for the change in date.
Also, JAMB stated it would report six secondary schools to the Federal Ministry of Education for their involvement in irregular registration activities during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration exercise.
The affected schools include Federal Government Girls College, Onitsha; St. Maria Goretti Girls Secondary School, Nkwerre-Orlu; Finek Group of Schools, Aba; Susu College, Nkpor; Nnamdi Azikiwe University Secondary School, Awka; and Deeper Life High School, Onitsha. The board said the listed schools were involved in “mass registration” of candidates, a serious breach of its operational rules.
The board insisted that UTME registration must be done individually at accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres to ensure data integrity.
JAMB warned that candidates from schools found guilty of such irregularities would be barred from the 2026 UTME
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