The Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja have detained at least 20 suspects accused of hacking the servers used for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) 2025 Computer-Based Test (CBT) exams.
The suspects are believed to be members of a larger syndicate of over 100 individuals who have perfected the act of breaching the computer systems of key examination bodies, including the National Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB.
Security sources told The Punch on Friday that the suspects admitted to hacking the CBT systems to undermine JAMB and deter the future use of computer-based tests for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and NECO.
Modus operandi of the suspects
According to the sources, the syndicate remotely infiltrated and controlled JAMB servers at selected CBT centres using specially designed attack software. This software was secretly installed on routers placed near the centres to bypass JAMB’s secure platforms.
“The strategy of these hackers involved mounting routers near targeted CBT centres. These routers allowed remote access to JAMB systems, enabling ‘special candidates’ who had paid hefty sums to receive answers during the exam,” The Punch cited a source as saying.
“The ghost software distorted exam data, resulting in discrepancies between the questions answered by candidates and the actual questions displayed on screen — a development blamed for the widespread failure recorded in the 2025 exams.”
“Candidates who benefitted from the illegal scheme reportedly paid between ₦700,000 and ₦2 million for high scores. Investigations have also revealed that several members of the syndicate are proprietors of private schools and tutorial centres, who use the proceeds to fund their so-called “special centres,” the source explained.
Suspects arrested in several states
According to the source, the suspects were apprehended during coordinated operations in several states, including Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Kano, and Delta. The suspects’ identities are being withheld until arraignment.
A separate source confirmed that there is no evidence implicating the seven JAMB officials overseeing service providers at the affected CBT centres.
“No case of complicity had been established against the seven JAMB staff who supervised the Service Providers at the two locations,” the source said.
Imo state government demands swift probe of JAMB servers’ hackers
Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo State, has urged the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services to step up their investigation into alleged hackers who targeted the website of the Joint Administration and Monitoring Board.
Over 370,000 students, primarily from the southeast, had their results impacted by JAMB’s website issues during the most recent Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Board exam.
The governor praised the security personnel for apprehending the suspects and described the arrest as timely in a statement released on Saturday by Declan Emelumba, the state commissioner for information, public orientation, and strategy.
He said the arrest was needed to find the root of the problem and reduce the crisis’s tension in the country.
The statement added, “Both the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Service must move quickly with the investigation to unravel those behind the hacking of the JAMB website.”
“A quick investigation and arraignment of the suspects in court would act as a deterrent to would-be criminals. The JAMB imbroglio was a national embarrassment that should be dealt with immediately.”
“The governor, however, commended the JAMB registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, for his sincerity and commitment in ensuring that the sanctity of the examination body was preserved.”
Tutorial school operators blame JAMB’s tech infrastructure for repeated UTME glitches
At a press conference on May 17, the Association of Tutorial School Operators (ATSO) had blamed the UTME glitches on flawed JAMB ICT infrastructure.
According to the ATSO, the serious flaws in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s ICT infrastructure are responsible for the frequent system failures that occurred during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
He said, “The recurrence of system failures and glitches suggests fundamental ICT infrastructure weaknesses that require comprehensive addressing.”
“There might be a need for a total appraisal of the whole infrastructural architecture of JAMB going forward, including relationships with service providers, who coincidentally are major partakers in the error/glitch issue,” Sodunke stated
ATSO President Mr. Oludotun Sodunke therefore called for a thorough evaluation of JAMB’s operational architecture and technological systems.
“JAMB should commission independent IT experts to conduct a full stress test of its infrastructure. New systems should be designed around the practical needs of candidates and the realities of the examination environment,” he recommended.