Education

JAMB Arrests Police Office For Using Mercenary In Its Exams

Published

5 years ago

October 2, 2020

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Friday nabbed personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, one Mr. Israel Etim for engaging another person to sit for him in the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Etim, a Police Constable in the Akwa Ibom State Command, registered for the exam with his name while the mercenary used his picture and other biometric details to sit for the exam.

The Policeman was said to have applied to study Fishery at the Akwa Ibom State University in the 2020 UTME.

While recounting his ordeal in Abuja, Etim told Journalists that he paid N30,000 to engage the services of the mercenary who is a teacher, one Emmanuel, now on the run, to sit for the exam as he was away on special duties.

Etim, after scoring over 240 in the exams decided to commence the admission process but was told that he won’t sail through because of the disparity in the picture, which prompted him to visit JAMB’s office for correction, a move that landed him in trouble.

“I went to their (JAMB) office to change my picture when they told me (in Akwa Ibom) that I won’t be able to use the result because of the picture,” he said.

Etim in an emotion-laden voice appealed to JAMB to temper justice with mercy, promising to help the board in investigating issues of impersonation in UTME.

Responding, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, said Etim would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Oloyede expressed concern on the antics of some candidates that try to circumvent measures put in place to prevent impersonation.

He cited an instance where a woman’s name appeared on the registration list and a man would attempt to sit on her behalf.

According to him, some candidates complain that they have registered for our examination but could not be verified on the day of examination.

” Many do not grasp the full import of their claims as such candidates, who are more often than not impersonators, expected to be allowed to enter the examination hall without undergoing necessary searches.

“However, in the last UTME, the Board introduced the taking of a snapshot of the candidate who claims they could not be verified and comparing the new picture with the one in our database.

“As a result of this innovation, only very few cases of impersonation were recorded compared with the number in the past,” he said.

The JAMB boss, however, assured candidates that had genuine verification challenges during the 2020 UTME, that the Board would fix a new date for them to write the exam.

Speaking on Israel Etim, Prof. Oloyede said the policeman was one of the 657 candidates that requested for change of picture in their registration profiles, adding that he was arrested where he could not give convincing reasons , before he later confessed to engaging a mercenary in the exam.

“657 want to change pictures and we are now asking them to come forward and give reasons for the change, we are expecting them,” he said.

He said the directive by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, that all institutions should use the already captured biometrics and pictures by the Board in processing admission has made it impossible for candidates whose examinations were taken on their behalf by professional examination takers to gain admissions.

“A good example of the above closely is an arrested member of the Nigeria Police Force, Mr. Etim Israel, who had hired a teacher, one Mr. Emmanuel, still at large, to sit the UTME for him and now wants to change his picture to enable him secure admission.

“This is because the new measures in place would not let him dare show his face in his chosen institution as it is the picture of his impersonator that would be displayed at the screening venue,” he said.

Prof. Oloyede, however, said the Board may not have the capacity to ensure the robust prosecution of all those involved in impersonation during the UTME, but will select some from across the country to face the wrath of the law

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Education

NELFUND assures students of smart system to improve loan access

Published

1 month ago

May 7, 2025

The Gleamer

Mariam Abeeb

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has assured students it was working assiduously towards building a technology driven system that would improve easy access to its loans.

This was as the FUND disclosed that no fewer than 320,000 students have thus far been paid with many more currently undergoing verification process to enable their payments.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer NELFUND, Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr gave the assurances in Abuja, while addressing Polytechnics , Monotechnics and Institutes at a Stakeholders Engagement Session/ Technical Workshop on NELFUND System Automation and Loan Application Processes.

Sawyerr noted that the FUND was targeting a platform where students could access loan with confidence and without stress in a manner that was transparent and accountable.

He said: “At NELFUND our mission goes beyond giving loans. It’s about opening doors, it’s about making sure every young Nigerian who is willing to learn and grow has a real shot regardless of their background, location, or chosen path of study.

“For too long, many students, especially in technical institutions, have faced steep financial barriers; some drop out, others have never even applied. This is the gap we at NELFUND are here to close. But we know we can’t do it alone.

“This is a shared mission. It belongs to all of us, government institutions and the private sector alike. This technical workshop marks a major step forward.

“We’re not only providing financing, we’re building a technology-driven system that makes it easier for students to apply, for institutions to verify, and for funds to be disbursed with speed, fairness, and accountability.

“We’re aiming for access without stress, a platform students can use with confidence; transparency and trust so that no one is left wondering where their application stands; partnership with purpose because your feedback, your data, and your cooperation are critical to making this work. We rely on you as our institutional partners to help us bring this vision to life.”

Sawyerr who commended the institutions for providing technical expertise, practical hands-on training that fuels industries and empowers communities over the years, said besides teaching skills, they have built careers, created employers and strengthened economies.

“You know your students, you understand their struggles, your insights will help us tailor this system to reflect the realities on ground, not just assumptions on paper.

“To NBTE, we value your steady leadership in shaping and regulating technical education. Your collaboration is key as we move forward fully.”

The NELFUND boss urged the institutions to partner with the FUND to deliver a system that was not just functional or sustainable, but one that was transformative

“As we move forward fully, integrating NELFUND processes with institutional systems and standards, let us remember at the heart of all of this is a student, a young Nigerian with dreams, with ambition, and the courage to pursue them. Everything we do must serve that student.

“The only way to make it happen is by working together, listening to one another, and staying grounded in real-world challenges. I encourage you all to engage fully today share what’s working and what is not, and together let’s build something that lasts.”

NELFUND ‘s Executive Director, Operations, Mr. Iyal Mustapha, disclosed that apart from the 320,000 students who have so far been paid, more verifications are currently ongoing.

Mustapha, who explained that the failure of not having the number of registered students tally with the number of students whose application process was deemed successful was from the part of students and not NELFUND, said there was an urgent need to bridge the gap.

He also disclosed that the FUND was considering connecting directly to institution’s portal to get the data they need, and how student could apply to their institutions portal without necessarily reaching out to NELFUND.

“One other thing that we’re trying to do going forward is to send some of our IT to all the institutions so that we can see how possible it is we connect directly to your portal instead of saying please send us data. How can we connect using an API which makes it easier to get the data of any student coming to us directly from your portal and not from our portal. So we don’t need to be collecting any data again.

“At the same time, we’re thinking of seeing how is it possible that a student can apply to your portal without coming to us. So it makes it so easy for the student when they’re doing registration, when they’re doing payments, they can select either to apply for NELFUND loans and the process will go through your portal. So you have all the data without ever reaching to NELFUND. All we need is for you to give assurance these are your students and if we have that, we pay you directly. It makes it simpler and faster for all the students.”

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