Varsity Students Risk Losing Admissions Over False UTME Declarations — JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a firm warning to undergraduates seeking fresh placement through the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE): disclose your current admission status or risk forfeiting both opportunities.

Clarifying widespread misinformation trailing the commencement of registration, the Board said candidates already enrolled in tertiary institutions are not barred from registering for the 2026 UTME/DE, but must truthfully declare their matriculation status as required by law.

In a statement yesterday, JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, lamented what he described as deliberate distortions of the Board’s guidelines by “self-styled education advocates” bent on misleading candidates and parents for personal gain.

According to him, the false narratives, which resurface at the start of every registration cycle, have created unnecessary anxiety among prospective candidates.

Benjamin stressed that the Board’s directive is straightforward and anchored on its statutory responsibility to prevent multiple admissions.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME or Direct Entry while still enrolled in an institution,” he said. “However, failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence. The law is explicit that no candidate is permitted to hold two admissions concurrently.”

He explained that disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures a new admission through the current registration, any previous admission automatically lapses.

The JAMB spokesman disclosed that recent investigations revealed that some matriculated students had been involved in examination malpractices, including acting as professional examination takers, a development he said necessitated stricter enforcement of disclosure rules.

“Mandatory disclosure expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended,” Benjamin noted.

While assuring that JAMB’s system is capable of detecting prior matriculation, he warned that candidates who attempt to beat the system by withholding information stand the risk of losing both their existing admission and any new one secured.

He urged parents and candidates to rely solely on official JAMB publications and guidelines, cautioning against unverified interpretations circulating on social media.

The Board also reiterated its resolve to safeguard the integrity of the 2026 UTME, which officially commenced registration on January 26.

As part of new measures, JAMB ruled out the participation of any Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre whose registration activities cannot be remotely monitored. The policy, tagged “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME,” is aimed at curbing infractions and restoring confidence in the examination process.

JAMB maintained that compliance with established procedures remains the surest path for candidates, insisting that transparency, not shortcuts, will define access to higher education in the 2026 admission cycle.