The announcement, made via a statement from JAMB's Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, revealed that out of 336,845 candidates rescheduled for the examination, a significant 21,082 were absent.
While no immediate explanation was provided for the high rate of absenteeism, JAMB indicated plans for a "mop-up" examination for all candidates who missed the initial UTME, including those whose absence from the resit examination was unspecified.
The Board's statement, however, quickly shifted focus to a more pressing concern: pervasive examination malpractice. JAMB expressed deep alarm over widespread irregularities involving candidates, school proprietors, and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers.
The resit results themselves were endorsed by a meeting of Chief External Examiners, chaired by Prof. Olufemi Peters, following a psychometric analysis by Prof. Boniface Nworgu.
In a move described as part of a "healing process," JAMB approved the release of results for underage candidates who had previously had their results withheld. However, the Board clarified that these results do not automatically qualify them for admission, reiterating that such candidates had signed an undertaking during registration acknowledging that only those meeting established standards would be considered for special underage admission, unless litigation is involved.
Furthermore, JAMB extended a one-time waiver to candidates implicated in online malpractice, specifically those involved in "WhatsApp Runs" and other similar misdemeanors. The Board emphasized that this decision was not an endorsement of such unacceptable acts but rather a "once and for all waiver," urging candidates to abstain from joining questionable "WhatsApp and other anti-social groups" in the future.
In a stern warning against future infractions, JAMB declared that CBT centers found complicit in serious registration and examination malpractices would be blacklisted, with their owners facing prosecution. Similarly, individuals involved in biometric or identity fraud will face legal action, with the Board resolving that those who directly registered candidates with modified pictures and biometrics would be apprehended and prosecuted.
The Board also took aim at unregulated tutorial centers, criticizing their role in aiding malpractice and advocating for government regulation of such establishments. Despite these challenges, JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to the CBT system and outlined plans to engage consultants to enhance the registration process.
A notable point of concern raised during the Chief External Examiners' meeting was the attempt by some groups to politicize the technical issues that led to the resit examination, disseminating tribal and sectional narratives. The meeting strongly condemned such efforts, emphasizing that the unfortunate incident was not targeted at any particular section of the country nor caused by any specific group. It was stressed that such narratives risk exacerbating existing societal divisions and even internal divisions within the JAMB workforce. The Registrar and JAMB management were commended for their competent and sincere handling of the situation.
Addressing circulating rumors, JAMB dismissed claims of high scorers in the cancelled sessions, stating emphatically that 99% of affected candidates scored below 200, with only a few managing to reach 217.
The Board also highlighted attempts to exploit the situation for personal gain, citing the case of Olisa Gabriel Chukwuemeka. Chukwuemeka falsely claimed to have scored 326 in the 2025 UTME. JAMB confirmed that he had altered his 2024 result of 203 and had, in fact, scored 180 in the 2025 examination before his result was withdrawn. He has since deactivated his social media accounts following public backlash.
It will be recalled that the initial results of the 2025 UTME were released on May 9. Subsequently, on May 14, JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede publicly disclosed that the results of 379,997 candidates across 157 centers in the Lagos and South-East zones had been compromised due to a technical glitch.
During a press conference where he visibly expressed remorse and apologized for the error, Professor Oloyede attributed the issue to faulty server updates that prevented the proper upload of candidate responses during the first three days of the examination, necessitating the recent resit.