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Student Apathy Hits Peak — 80% Absent from JAMB’s Final UTME Window
More than 80 percent of the 98,232 candidates eligible to sit for Saturday’s nationwide mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) failed to show up — a development the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) attributed to heightened security surveillance and efforts to clamp down on impersonation and exam fraud.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Speaking to journalists after monitoring the exercise at the Technology CBT Centre in NAF Valley Estate, Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, described the turnout as “alarmingly low,” disclosing that only about 12 percent of the registered candidates turned up nationwide.
Oloyede explained that mop-up exams are typically reserved for a few thousand candidates with legitimate reasons — such as illness or verified technical glitches — that prevented them from sitting the main UTME.
“Ordinarily, the mop-up exam is for 4,000 to 5,000 candidates yearly — those with genuine excuses or those affected by technical issues during the main exam,” he said.
However, he revealed that the unusually high number of mop-up candidates this year was due to widespread absences during the main UTME. In response, the Board, in consultation with stakeholders, decided to give all absentees a second chance, while simultaneously using the opportunity to expose impersonators based on intelligence from security agencies.
“In our collective wisdom, we agreed to give everyone a chance, regardless of the reasons they missed the main exam. But we also used intelligence from the DSS and the police to identify and track impersonators.
“So, we kept the door open — not just to be fair, but also to catch those engaged in exam fraud. As you can see, the turnout across the country has been far lower than expected. Out of over 90,000 slated for the mop-up, only around 12,000 indicated interest, and even fewer actually turned up,” he added.
The registrar disclosed that some CBT centres expected up to 250 candidates per session but recorded less than 20 — a development he said was anticipated due to the crackdown on exam syndicates.
“What we’re dealing with is a criminal network — including some so-called tutorial centres and private school proprietors who have become hubs of examination malpractice,” Oloyede stated, adding that the Federal Ministry of Education is fully committed to eliminating such practices.
He also revealed a bizarre scheme by fraudsters attempting to bypass facial recognition checks by falsely declaring themselves as albinos.
“Normally, we don’t register more than 100 albinos in any given year. But suddenly this year, 1,787 candidates identified as albinos — and one centre alone accounted for 450 of them. It’s clear this was orchestrated.
“They made these false declarations because AI-powered facial recognition systems treat certain features differently. Declaring oneself as an albino alters the parameters and reduces scrutiny, particularly due to skin tone differences,” Oloyede explained.
He said one of the suspects currently in custody confessed that this was the first step in a broader impersonation scheme.
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, says the state has mapped out 22,435 hectares of degraded land for restoration under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project using modern geospatial mapping technology.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
He said the initiative is part of efforts to strengthen climate resilience, tackle environmental degradation, and promote sustainable land use in the state.
Speaking at the ACReSAL mid-term review meeting in Kaduna through the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Abubakar Buba, the governor explained that the use of geospatial tools has made it possible to accurately identify affected areas for targeted intervention.
He added that the project is not only focused on land recovery but also on boosting agricultural output and improving livelihoods in affected communities.
Sani also noted that the state is supporting the programme with empowerment initiatives, including training over 500 women, youths, and school feeding vendors in biomass briquette production.
According to him, the effort is already helping to reduce dependence on firewood while creating alternative sources of income for beneficiaries.
President Tinubu has given full backing for the implementation of the ₦68.32 trillion 2026 budget after signing the Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly into law.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
He also approved an amendment extending the lifespan of the 2025 budget from March 31 to June 30, 2026, to ensure completion of ongoing capital projects nationwide.
Under the 2026 fiscal plan, ₦4.799 trillion is set aside for statutory transfers, ₦15.8 trillion for debt servicing, ₦15.4 trillion for recurrent spending, while ₦32.2 trillion goes to capital projects—about half of the total budget.
The focus, according to the administration, is on infrastructure development, security, and growth-driven investments aimed at improving living standards.
Speaking on the development, presidential aide Bayo Onanuga said the extension of the 2025 budget will help ensure full use of allocated funds, especially for major ongoing projects.
Tinubu directed all ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure transparency, discipline, and value-for-money in implementing the budget, while praising the National Assembly for its swift passage of the bill.
He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to economic reforms, revenue growth, job creation, and social welfare improvements.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has described moves to prosecute former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over alleged culpable homicide as an attempt to reopen the 2018 Offa robbery tragedy for political purposes.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
In a statement on Friday, the party’s spokesperson, Olusegun Adewara, said the development is a disturbing and dangerous politicisation of a case they claim has already been addressed through judicial processes.
He warned against dragging the state into fresh tension, accusing the state government of attempting to revive old allegations for political advantage.
Adewara said the PDP would not remain silent while what he called “political narratives” are used to influence public perception around a tragic incident that claimed multiple lives in Offa in 2018.
He also urged residents, especially affected families, not to allow their pain to be used for political gains, insisting it is unjust to associate Saraki with the crime.
The party further alleged that the move is aimed at distracting attention from governance challenges in the state.
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