Katsina Court Imprisons Man for JAMB UTME Impersonation Offence
A Federal High Court sitting in Katsina State has delivered a significant judgment in a case of examination malpractice, sentencing a young man to three years imprisonment for impersonation during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The court found Ibrahim Abdulaziz guilty of unlawfully representing himself as another candidate during the crucial national examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
Court Details the Impersonation Incident
During the trial, prosecutors established that the offence occurred on April 30, 2025, at Zee Alpha Academy examination centre in Funtua, Katsina State. Mr A.D. Saleh, the Officer in Charge of Legal matters at the Katsina State Police Command, presented evidence showing that Abdulaziz fraudulently posed as Bolanwu Emmanuel, who was the legitimate candidate registered for the UTME examination.
The prosecution successfully argued that the act contravened provisions of Nigeria's Examinations Malpractice Act, calling three witnesses and tendering the examination slip used during the test as evidence. Despite objections from defence counsel M.T. Steve regarding the admissibility of the examination slip, the trial judge overruled the objection and admitted the document as valid evidence.
Judicial Ruling and Sentencing
Justice Hussaini Dadan-Garba, while delivering the judgment, convicted Abdulaziz and sentenced him to three years imprisonment without an option of fine. The judge emphasized that the punishment was necessary to deter others from engaging in similar acts that undermine the credibility of public examinations in Nigeria.
The court noted that examination malpractice strikes at the very foundation of educational integrity and requires firm punishment to maintain public confidence in the system. However, in a separate ruling, the court discharged and acquitted Bolanwu Emmanuel, the original UTME candidate, after finding no evidence linking him to the impersonation scheme.
Broader Context of JAMB Examinations
This conviction comes as JAMB prepares for the 2026 UTME registration cycle. The examination board has announced that application forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry admissions will go on sale starting January 26, 2026. The registration exercise will cover admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session across Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Prospective candidates for the 2026 UTME are required to have essential documentation including a National Identification Number and a valid email address. The examination board has released detailed registration guidelines, with forms scheduled to be available from January 31 through March 8, 2026.
This case highlights the serious consequences of examination malpractice in Nigeria's educational system and serves as a warning to potential offenders about the judicial system's commitment to preserving examination integrity.
