Police Arrest Three Over UTME Fraud in Delta

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has uncovered a suspected examination malpractice syndicate during the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Delta State.

The operation, which led to the arrest of three suspects, was carried out at the College of Education, Warri, following intelligence reports of attempts to compromise the integrity of the examination through technology-driven methods.

In a statement issued on Friday, Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, said investigations revealed that unauthorised remote access was illegally gained into candidates’ computer systems while the examination was ongoing.

“The Nigeria Police Force, in collaboration with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has uncovered and disrupted a sophisticated examination malpractice syndicate during the conduct of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination at the College of Education, Warri, Delta State,” the statement said.

Placid disclosed that the coordinated operation resulted in the arrest of three individuals allegedly linked to the fraud network.

According to him, the suspects are currently in police custody and assisting investigators with further inquiries into the case.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that during the examination, unauthorized remote access was illegally gained into candidates’ computer systems while the exercise was ongoing,” he stated.

The police spokesperson added that investigations had uncovered the involvement of other examination centres suspected to have engaged in similar illegal practices.

As part of immediate measures, JAMB reportedly withdrew the results from affected centres pending the outcome of investigations.

Candidates impacted by the development are expected to participate in a mop-up examination in line with JAMB procedures.

The police warned candidates, examination centre operators and other collaborators against engaging in examination malpractice, cyber fraud and unauthorised system intrusion.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to identifying, dismantling, and prosecuting criminal networks seeking to undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s educational system,” the statement added.

The development comes amid growing concerns over the use of technology to aid examination fraud in public examinations across the country.