The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has started a full investigation into an alleged data breach involving the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The incident is believed to have exposed the personal details of nearly 380,000 candidates who took part in exams at 157 centres across Lagos and the South-East.
The move comes after rising concerns that the private information of these candidates may have been accessed without permission.
It was reported that hackers might have broken into systems due to weak security at some exam centres.
As a result, the NDPC is now looking into how the candidates’ data was handled and whether proper safety measures were in place to protect it.
Early checks point to possible failures by certain centres to put the right security tools and rules in place.
The Commission is also examining the role of external companies that may have helped manage the data.
These steps are part of a wider review of how JAMB and its partners collect, store, and protect personal information.
Meanwhile, security agencies have arrested at least 20 people connected to the suspected data theft.
The Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police Force are leading the operation, which aims to break up a group of over 100 hackers who have been linked to attacks on key government systems, including those run by education bodies like JAMB.
The NDPC has promised to dig deeper into the matter and take action where necessary to protect the data rights of Nigerian citizens.
