The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the results of 632,788 candidates who sat for the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on Thursday, April 16 while simultaneously announcing the arrest of two candidates and one parent for falsifying examination results using Artificial Intelligence and other electronic tools, in what the board described as a serious criminal offence that would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
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The disclosure, made in a statement signed by JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, marks the first known instance of AI being deployed to manipulate UTME results a development that signals the emergence of a new frontier in examination fraud that the board is moving aggressively to combat.
Candidates who wrote the UTME on Thursday, April 16, can now access their scores via SMS. To check their results, candidates should send UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) used during registration.
JAMB clarified that candidates can only view their scores for now, noting that official result slips are not yet available for printing and will be enabled at a later date.
The board stated that the examination is still ongoing and that additional results will be released in batches as they become available. The 2026 UTME, which began on April 16, is expected to run until April 22 across accredited Computer-Based Test centres nationwide.
The most striking element of JAMB’s announcement was the disclosure that arrests have already been made for result falsification using AI technology on the very first day of result release.
“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement read.
The suspects were apprehended for manipulating official SMS result notifications from JAMB’s platforms (55019 and 66019) to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to deceive others, including parents and guardians.
The method reportedly involved using AI tools and electronic manipulation to alter the content of genuine JAMB result SMS messages — changing the scores displayed to show higher marks than were actually obtained. The falsified messages would then be shown to parents, guardians, or other parties as proof of performance.
The speed of the arrests occurring on the same day results were released suggests JAMB had either received prior intelligence about the fraud scheme or detected anomalies through its own monitoring systems.
JAMB issued a stern warning to all candidates against tampering with results.
“Candidates are strongly cautioned against manipulating the SMS received from the official platform (55019/66019) to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to mislead others, including parents,” JAMB stated.
The board declared that such actions “constitute a serious criminal offence” and would be treated with “the utmost gravity.”
Benjamin added that any candidate found culpable would face the full consequences of the law, signalling that the three suspects currently in custody are likely to be prosecuted as a deterrent to others.
The 2026 UTME is one of the largest standardised examinations in Africa. According to data released by JAMB ahead of the examination, approximately 2,243,816 candidates registered for the 2026 exercise a slight increase compared to the previous year.
The examination is being conducted in multiple sessions daily across accredited CBT centres nationwide, with results released in batches as each day’s examination is completed and scored.
The release of 632,788 results from the first day represents approximately 28 per cent of the total registered candidates, with the remaining results expected over the coming days as the examination continues through April 22.
The arrest of suspects for using AI to falsify results represents a significant escalation in the sophistication of examination fraud in Nigeria.
Traditional methods of result manipulation such as manually editing screenshots or creating fake result documents have been relatively easy for institutions to detect through verification against official databases. However, AI-powered manipulation of SMS messages presents a more convincing form of fraud, as the altered messages can appear identical to genuine JAMB notifications in format, sender information, and presentation.
The involvement of a parent among the arrested suspects also highlights the demand side of result fraud the pressure placed on candidates to produce impressive scores, which drives some to falsify results rather than accept their actual performance.
JAMB’s decision to publicise the arrests immediately, rather than waiting for the conclusion of the examination period, appears designed to serve as a deterrent — sending a clear message to the remaining candidates yet to sit for the examination and receive their results.
Candidates are advised to check results only through the official channels: sending UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number registered during their JAMB registration. Any result obtained through unofficial channels or altered in any way carries criminal liability.
Parents and guardians are also implicitly warned by JAMB’s announcement. The arrest of a parent suggests that the board views those who commission, facilitate, or benefit from result falsification as equally culpable not just the candidates who execute the manipulation.
The examination continues through April 22, with results to be released progressively. Official result slips will be available for printing at a date to be announced by the board.
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