The Federal Government has disclosed that questions for some National Examinations Council (NECO) papers were allegedly leaked to candidates before the examinations, with one case involving questions reportedly sold for N3,000. Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the revelation on Thursday, September 3, 2026, during a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and other education stakeholders in Abuja.
Minister Recounts N3,000 NECO Question Sale
Alausa described the scale of examination malpractice he encountered as “mind-boggling”, warning that students who prepare honestly are placed at a disadvantage when other candidates gain access to examination materials before scheduled papers. He recounted a specific case where the name of former NECO Registrar Ibrahim Wushishi had become associated with a platform through which examination questions were allegedly obtained in advance.
“They bought his question for N3,000. That was it. Before the examination. They called him Wushishi and bought the questions for N3,000,” Alausa said, illustrating how cheaply and easily the leak occurred.
2025 Exam Period Leaks Confirmed
The minister also recalled incidents during the 2025 examination period when questions allegedly obtained ahead of scheduled papers were repeatedly sent to him. According to Alausa, some of the materials had to be checked with examination officials before they were confirmed as the actual questions candidates were expected to answer that day.
This confirmation process, he noted, highlighted the seriousness of the leak, as the materials matched the official papers. The minister warned that widespread access to leaked examination materials could eventually pressure otherwise honest students into cheating because they would be competing against candidates who had seen the questions beforehand.
Warning on Honest Students and Shared Responsibility
“The danger was that the good students would also become bad,” Alausa said, emphasising the ripple effect of malpractice on the integrity of the entire examination system.
The minister stressed that examination malpractice should not be treated solely as a problem involving students, saying parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals and invigilators also have responsibilities in preventing the practice. He said addressing the problem would require cooperation across the education system to protect the credibility of examinations and ensure candidates are assessed fairly.
Alausa’s remarks come as part of broader government efforts to tackle examination malpractice, with the meeting serving as a platform to engage private school proprietors and other stakeholders in finding lasting solutions. The minister’s disclosure underscores the urgent need for collective action to safeguard the integrity of national examinations.
