2020 UTME: Imo, Enugu, 3 Others Identified with Highest Number of Malpractice

Following the prosecution of 195 arrested candidates who engaged in examination malpractice during the 2020 UTME examination, Imo and Enugu have been identified as states with the highest number of candidates who cheated during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

A total of 195 candidates were alleged to have involved in various forms of malpractice during the three-week-long national examination which ended on Sunday, March 22.

Some of candidates are already being prosecuted by the Nigeria Police following the directive of the examination body.

In a weekly bulletin published by the examination body on Monday May 11, 2020, the names and states of the 195 candidates were revealed.

The body stated that Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia and Ebonyi states, all had a total of 71 candidates who committed infractions.

The infractions committed by the candidates included proxy, attempt to cheat, forceful entrance, tampering with examination documents, smuggling of mobile phones into the examination halls, among others.

While a total of 1,945,983 candidates wrote the UTME in the year under review, JAMB stated that cases of misconduct were reported across 30 states of the federation including Abuja.

Other states on the list included; Abia with nine reported cases, Ebonyi which has three reported cases. Also, Adamawa, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun trailed behind.

“Examination Infraction in the UTME is declining with the 2020 experience. However, out of the 1,945,983 million candidates who sat the examination, prima facie cases of examination misconduct have been made against the following 149 candidates,” the bulletin reads.

“As part of its tradition, the board would not hesitate to withdraw the results of candidates found to have perpetrated any form of examination malpractice,” it adds.

Meanwhile, Gombe, Sokoto, Adamawa and Yobe states have one case of malpractice each.

While Benue, Delta and Kogi states recorded two cases each, the bulletin showed that Katsina, Bayelsa, Kebbi, Niger, Zamfara, and Taraba recorded zero case.