The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has formally released the results for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

During a press briefing held in Abuja on Friday, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that the results of 39,834 candidates were being withheld out of the over 1.9 million students who participated in this year’s examination.

He stated, “A total of 39,834 results have not yet been released. Among these, 1,426 are currently undergoing further review and processing.”

Professor Oloyede also mentioned that of the withheld results, 96 were linked to confirmed examination malpractice cases—reflecting a decrease from 123 recorded last year.

He reaffirmed the Board’s determination to eliminate all forms of cheating during examinations. He also noted that 1,957,000 candidates were verified to sit for the exam, while 71,705 did not show up.

Additionally, he reported that 2,157 candidates faced fingerprint verification issues due to suspected irregularities during registration—a figure he said was concerning and under active investigation.

“The 2025 UTME revealed several types of malpractice, highlighting weaknesses in both registration and test monitoring systems,” he explained.

According to Oloyede, the newly detected issues primarily affected registration and examination processes and fell under two major categories: identity fraud and biometric manipulation involving combined thumbprints.

Other violations included impersonation during registration—often facilitated by certain CBT centres—cases of dual registration, and candidates attempting to substitute themselves with others.

He went on to reveal that 244 candidates had subscribed to illegal “WhatsApp runs” groups that falsely promised access to leaked exam questions. Their results have also been withheld to serve as a deterrent.

In several instances, entire syndicates worked in collaboration with CBT centres to register candidates using multiple sets of fingerprints.

As a result, the board has withheld the results of 3,656 candidates identified as having “extraneous fingerprints.” Some CBT centres involved in the scam will face disciplinary action.

The implicated centres include Tigh Technologies Limited, Sascon International School (Maitama, Abuja), Wudil Computer Information Technology (Wudil, Kano), and Penta M & Centre 2 (Tambuwal LGA, Sokoto).

Furthermore, Oloyede revealed that 80 individuals are currently being questioned by law enforcement over their roles in these exam malpractices, and most will be charged to court.

“The presence of unauthorized fingerprints in candidate records raises red flags for potential impersonation tactics,” he said. “As a result, we have withheld the results of 3,656 affected candidates.”

Addressing the issue of underage candidates, he explained that, following a directive from the Ministry of Education to enforce a minimum age of 16, only students deemed “exceptionally gifted” were granted exceptions.

Out of 41,027 underage students who registered, only 467 met the high-performance benchmark—one of whom was later disqualified for cheating.

Oloyede emphasized JAMB’s ongoing commitment to supporting persons with disabilities in their pursuit of higher education.

He reported that for the 2025 UTME, a total of 501 candidates with disabilities were assessed through the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) across 11 designated centres nationwide.

Unfortunately, one candidate from this group was also found guilty of impersonation, and their result was similarly withheld.

Oloyede also announced that four CBT centres have been delisted and blacklisted due to poor performance and technical failures.

The affected centres include:

• Adventure Associate (Behind Sheshe Supermarket, Kano)

• Saadatu Rimi College of Education (Zaria)

• Soronara Ventures Nigeria Limited (Umudagu Mbieri, Mbaitoli, Imo State)

• HSS Amazing, Holy Saviour School (Old Ota Road, Ogun State)

He added that a full list of centres blacklisted for fraudulent practices will soon be made public, along with the details of their violations.

Despite the challenges, Oloyede stated that the 2025 UTME has been widely regarded as one of the most successful editions in recent history.

He reiterated JAMB’s firm stance against malpractice and assured the public of the board’s ongoing efforts to implement new strategies that ensure the integrity of national examinations.

Regarding result access, Oloyede advised candidates to check their 2025 UTME scores by texting UTMERESULT (as a single word) to either 55019 or 66019 using the same phone number used during registration. He noted that printing of results would be made available at a later date.