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Speaker 1: Nigeria examination body responsible for conducting entry examinations for secondary

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school students to gain admission into higher institutions of learning

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in the West Africa country, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation

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Board JAM, on Sunday says it recorded a case of

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Nigeria students using Artificial Intelligence AI to indulge in the

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act of examination malpractice, specifically stating that the Nigeria students

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used AI to enhance photograph, but JAM refused to give

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further details on how the AI enhanced photo was used

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to commit the examination fraud. JAM made this known in

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a statement issued to announce to the general public that

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the UTME rescheduled examination for candidates that were affected during

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the main exam due to hackers who allegedly caused technical

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problems in some centre’s students sat for the exam. In

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a statement released on Sunday and signed by jam’s public

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Communication Advisor, doctor Fabian Benjamin, the board disclosed the twenty

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one thousand, eighty two of the three hundred thirty six thousand,

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eight hundred and forty five candidates scheduled for the recid

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were absent. Details of the statement, as reported by Sahara

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reporters reads below. Thus, despite the turnout shortfall, JAM noted

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that the performance trends among candidates who took the RECID

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remained within expected historical ranges, citing success rates from eleven

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per cent in twenty thirteen to thirty four per cent

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in twenty sixteen. JAM said claims that some candidates from

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the canceled sessions scored highly and may wish to retain

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their results are entirely unfounded. It noted that in reality,

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only a handful of candidates scored as high as two

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hundred and seventeen, while ninety nine per cent scored below

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two hundred, demonstrating that there were no top performers in

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the canceled sessions across the six affected states. However, the

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release of the results has been overshadowed by fresh revelations

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of widespread malpract involving candidates, school proprietors, and computer based

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test CBT centers. The Board’s Chief External Examiners CES, led

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by Professor Olifemi Peters, vice Chancellor of the National Open

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University of Nigeria, now reviewed the RESET exercise and brought

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in psychometrics expert Professor boniface In Wargu to validate the

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results before they were released. Several critical resolutions were made

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during a nationwide meeting of cees, including the conditional release

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of results for underage candidates, those involved in online WhatsApp runs,

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and some of those who missed the reset for valid reasons.

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JAM explained that underage candidates, many of whom had earlier

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acknowledged in writing that only those who meet academic standards

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would be considered for special admission, had their results released

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for record purposes only, and they remain ineligible for admission. Similarly,

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candidates found to have engaged in academic misconduct using illicid,

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WhatsApp groups and solicitation platforms were granted a one time waiver.

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The board noted that it should not be misinterpreted as

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condoning wrongdoing, urging candidates to avoid antisocial and fraudulent networks.

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A final opportunity has also been extended to absentee candidates,

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particularly those who missed both the main utmeme and the

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reset via the annual mop up examination. Meanwhile, several CBT

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centres have been blacklisted for serious examination in fractions including

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biometric data manipulation and impersonation facilitation. JAM said the proprietors

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of these centres will be prosecuted and all individuals directly

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involved in the fraudulent activities are being tracked. Collusion of

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certain CBT centre school proprietors with the connivance of accredited

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centers to hack the networks of targeted CBT centres, thereby

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gaining control of candidates computers and remotely so admitting their

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responses to the relevant local server of the centre, as

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recently discovered by the security agencies, to whom we are

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profoundly grateful. The statement read the board raised alarm over

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increasingly sophisticated cheating strategies discovered during the twenty twenty five

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examination cycle. These include AI enhanced photo manipulation to enable impersonation,

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hacking into CBT networks, using hidden strong rooms to extend

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local network coverage, and hiring mercenaries to sit exams for candidates.

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While some Nigerians are busy dissipating energies on conspiracy theories

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and spread of hatred, our future is being put in

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jeopardy by advanced level of digitalized fraud JAM warned travel

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guides during the twenty twenty five examinations. Further high level

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malpractices were uncovered, which led to the withdrawal of some

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results and the arrest of several culprits across the country,

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some of whom we understand made useful confessions. Over three

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thousand candidates have been identified as having benefited from or

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participated in such fraudulent practices, and JAM stated that their

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results will be withdrawn once investigations are concluded. The board

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also pushed back against tribal or sectional claims tied to

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the cancelation of sessions in six states, clarifying that no

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high scores were recorded in those sessions, as ninety nine

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percent of affected candidates scored below two hundred. In another case,

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the True Public Attention JAM discredited a viral social media

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claim by one Alissa Gabriel Chukuomecha, her first year public

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health student at adakunle Ad Jason University, a Cumberracoco, AAUA,

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who falsely claimed to have scored three hundred and twenty

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six in the twenty twenty five UTME. Investigations showed that

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Chuquomecha had docted his twenty twenty four UTME result of

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two hundred and three to impersonate a high performing twenty

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twenty five score. His actual twenty twenty five result recorded

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in Lagos was one hundred and eighty and has since

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been withdrawn. Following the expose, the student reportedly deactivated his

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x formerly Twitter account on complaints about result checking costs.

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JAM clarified that its SMS Shortcote Service fifty five thousand,

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nineteen sixty six thousand, NINETEENTHS is subsidized and designed to

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protect candidates personal data from cyber cafes and third party platforms.

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Candidates were urged not to recheck already released results unless

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they receive a direct notification via SMS email or their

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JAM profile indicating a withdrawal juneter infractions. JAM expressed appreciation

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to Nigeria’s security agencies for their support in uncovering examination fraud.

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The board also thanked week Amadu Bello University, the Teacher’s

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Registration Council of Nigeria and the National Examination’s Council for

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adjusting their own exam schedules to accommodate the reset. The

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board commended the resilience of affected candidates and reaffirmed its

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commitment to a technology driven, fair and credible examination process.

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Despite mounting challenges, JAM maintained that the CBT model remains

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the best option for curbing malpractice and modernizing Nigeria’s education system.

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Doctor Fabian Benjamin concluded the statement by urging Nigerians to

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unite in protecting the integrity of the country’s education system

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against increasingly sophisticated forms of cheating Gwindi Bini in a

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morgical way.