The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has uncovered over 15,000 forged admission letters used by unqualified candidates seeking to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The development, described as one of the most alarming fraud cases in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, has triggered a series of investigations and prosecutions involving university officials, JAMB staff, and independent institutions.
At the NYSC Batch C pre-mobilisation workshop held in Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said the board has already handed several suspects to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for prosecution.
According to him, no fewer than 17 deputy vice-chancellors, some deputy registrars, and four JAMB staff are currently in ICPC custody over the alleged forgery.
“I couldn’t believe that 15,000 candidates forged admission letters,” Oloyede said. “As I speak, some deputy registrars are being tried by the ICPC. Some deputy vice-chancellors, including JAMB staff, are in prison custody. Those who want to go to jail should do so knowingly, not by accident.”
The registrar urged institutions and NYSC officials to adhere strictly to established rules, warning that deviation from proper procedures was the root of most administrative crises in the education sector.
NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, described the revelation as a serious threat to the credibility of the corps’ mobilisation process. He said the NYSC has continued to record cases of forged credentials, multiple registrations, and identity theft from unqualified persons seeking to infiltrate its database.
“Mobilising eligible Nigerian graduates for national service remains central to our mandate,” the DG said. “This process cannot be allowed to suffer disrepute. We built public trust in the analogue era and sustained it into the digital age, but these fraudulent practices threaten that integrity.”
NYSC’s Director of Corps Mobilisation, Rachel Idaewor, also warned that the challenge of data manipulation and fraudulent uploads remained one of the most persistent threats to the scheme’s credibility.
She noted that maintaining data integrity was crucial, not only for operational efficiency but also for protecting the personal and professional futures of Nigerian graduates.
Meanwhile, JAMB has extended the 2025 admission deadline for public universities from October 31 to November 17. The extension, the board said in its weekly bulletin, was due to delays caused by court orders and new accreditation exercises.
According to JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the decision followed appeals from the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) and the accreditation of 229 new programmes in 37 universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
“This extension is to ensure that no institution or candidate is unfairly disadvantaged. It is the final adjustment,” JAMB stated.
In a related move, the board said it would report six secondary schools to the Federal Ministry of Education for irregular registration practices during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The affected schools include Federal Government Girls College, Onitsha; Finek Group of Schools, Aba; and Deeper Life High School, Onitsha, among others.
JAMB said the schools engaged in “mass registration” of candidates — a clear violation of its operational guidelines — and warned that students involved could be barred from the 2026 UTME.
The board also cautioned candidates against responding to offers from institutions requesting programme changes through unofficial portals. JAMB alleged that some universities were attempting to manipulate the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) by persuading top-ranked candidates to switch to less-subscribed programmes.
“Such backdoor manoeuvres are unethical and will not be condoned,” JAMB warned. “All admission activities must be conducted exclusively through CAPS to guarantee fairness and transparency.”
The board reiterated its commitment to protecting candidates’ interests and maintaining integrity across all its operations, stressing that any institution found manipulating the process would face regulatory sanctions.