The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has arrested two candidates and a parent over the alleged falsification of 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results using artificial intelligence and other digital tools.
The arrests were announced on Friday, April 17, alongside the release of results for 632,788 candidates who sat the exam on Thursday, April 16.
JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin said the suspects manipulated official SMS result notifications to alter scores, aiming to mislead parents, guardians, and the public.
“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement read.
Benjamin described the offence as serious and criminal, stressing that those involved would face the full weight of the law.
He also warned candidates against tampering with official result messages sent via JAMB’s SMS platforms, 55019 and 66019.
Candidates who sat the examination on Thursday were advised to check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number linked to their registration.
