In a shocking revelation that has rocked Nigeria’s education sector, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a large-scale forgery scandal involving about 15,000 fake admission letters used by individuals seeking mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). The discovery, made public by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, during the 2025 Batch C Pre-Mobilisation Workshop in Abuja, exposes deep-rooted corruption and manipulation within the nation’s tertiary education admission and mobilisation systems.
Massive Forgery Uncovered by JAMB
According to Oloyede, thousands of individuals who never passed through any recognised tertiary institution were discovered to have obtained forged JAMB admission letters to qualify for NYSC mobilisation. These fraudulent documents were allegedly processed by a network of collaborators, including staff of various higher institutions and even a few insiders within JAMB.
The Registrar revealed that about 17 Deputy Vice-Chancellors, several Deputy Registrars, and four JAMB officials are currently being interrogated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for their alleged roles in the scandal.
JAMB’s verification system, which cross-checks students’ admission status through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), played a critical role in unearthing the irregularities. The system revealed discrepancies in the records of several individuals whose data did not match any legitimate university or polytechnic admission database.
NYSC Raises Alarm Over Threat to Mobilisation Integrity
The NYSC management, represented at the workshop, expressed deep concern over the situation, warning that the discovery of such massive fraud poses a direct threat to the integrity and credibility of the mobilisation process.
Officials lamented that the act of forging admission letters to gain NYSC eligibility undermines not only the scheme’s objectives but also the reputation of genuine Nigerian graduates who earned their qualifications legitimately. They reiterated NYSC’s commitment to upholding transparency and vowed to strengthen its collaboration with JAMB and tertiary institutions to prevent further occurrences.
How the Fraud Was Perpetrated
Investigations revealed that most of the forged admission letters were created by individuals who never participated in JAMB’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or who failed to secure admission through legitimate means.
These individuals allegedly worked with corrupt officials who altered or fabricated JAMB admission letters with fake institution names and matriculation numbers.
In some cases, genuine JAMB admission letters were edited to reflect different names and courses, while others were entirely fabricated using templates of official JAMB documents. The forged letters were then used to apply for NYSC mobilisation, successfully deceiving the system until JAMB’s enhanced digital verification process flagged the discrepancies.
Oloyede’s Firm Stand Against Academic Fraud
Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, known for his zero-tolerance approach to corruption, condemned the rising trend of forgery in the education sector. He stressed that the discovery of 15,000 forged admission letters is just a fraction of the widespread malpractice that undermines the country’s education system.
He also warned tertiary institutions against compromising admission integrity and assured that JAMB will continue to work closely with the ICPC and other relevant agencies to ensure that all those involved face the full weight of the law.
According to him, the integrity of Nigeria’s education and youth service systems must be protected at all costs. He emphasised that no matter how well-connected the culprits may be, the era of impunity in admission and mobilisation processes is over.
Implications for Nigerian Universities and Graduates
This revelation sends a strong message to Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to tighten internal controls and ensure full compliance with JAMB’s admission verification procedures.
For legitimate graduates, it highlights the importance of ensuring that all their admission documents are genuine and verifiable through JAMB’s CAPS portal. Those found to have submitted forged admission letters risk not only disqualification from NYSC mobilisation but also potential prosecution for forgery and impersonation.
For institutions, the scandal calls for urgent internal audits, proper documentation, and better oversight of admission and record-keeping processes. Institutions implicated in the fraudulent acts may face sanctions, suspension from mobilisation exercises, or loss of accreditation privileges.
ICPC Steps In — Ongoing Investigations
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has already begun interrogating suspects in connection with the scandal. Among those detained are senior university administrators and JAMB staff believed to have facilitated the issuance or verification of fake admission documents.
The ICPC’s involvement signals a broader anti-corruption effort aimed at cleaning up Nigeria’s education system. Reports indicate that the commission is also tracing the financial transactions linked to the fraudulent admission letters to uncover possible money trails and networks behind the scheme.
NYSC to Implement Stronger Verification Systems
In response to JAMB’s findings, the NYSC has announced plans to introduce a newly upgraded digital verification and cross-matching system for all prospective corps members. The system will automatically authenticate each applicant’s admission status directly from JAMB’s database before mobilisation approval.
This measure, according to NYSC officials, is designed to ensure that only candidates who legitimately gained admission through recognised channels will be mobilised for national service. The agency also encouraged all prospective corps members to personally verify their names on the official NYSC and JAMB portals to avoid future embarrassment.
Public Reactions and Expert Opinions
The development has sparked widespread outrage among education stakeholders, who describe it as a major embarrassment to Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
Educational analysts have called for stiffer penalties for officials found guilty of aiding or abetting such acts, insisting that mere suspension or dismissal is not enough.
Student associations have also urged JAMB and NYSC to make the results of their investigations public to serve as a deterrent to others. Some have suggested that universities adopt biometric verification systems during admissions and graduation clearance to eliminate the possibility of fake identities.
