JAMB: The making of UTME disaster! How candidates lost lives in auto crash

.How poor knowledge of computers resulted in mass failure

Nigerians beheld a shocking spectacle on their TV screens, phones and other media outlets on Wednesday as the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, addressed a press conference admitting a grave error in the conduct of this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The press conference was a reaction to widespread complaints by candidates and parents suspecting a foul play over the unusually massive failures recorded by candidates. But after a thorough review of the exercise, Prof Oloyede took responsibility and tendered an unreserved apology to the close to 379,997 candidates affected by the unusual error. ThePapers.ng undertakes a review of the conduct of the most controversial UTME ever and recalls some candidates’ experiences.

“12 o’clock! If you are for the noon session, enter, the gate is about to be closed.” That was the firm directive by a female member of the security deployed at the entrance of a UTME centre in Lagos. It was one that caused many candidates who were just arriving at the CBT centre to rush towards the gate.

Others who had arrived earlier and were discussing in clusters also joined the rush towards the gate, panicking. Although it was just sunrise, most of the candidates were sweating with palpable fears on their faces. Officially, they still had a grace of 40 minutes before the commencement of the exam.

A day before, the news of the disappearance of a UTME candidate, Esther Oladele, was all over the social media; a development that sent jitters down the spines of many parents. She was said to have left her Ajah home for Epe, where she was supposed to sit for the UTME only for her family to receive from her phone a distressing message, saying: “I’m scared. I think I entered the wrong car. My eyes are itchy. It feels like I want to sleep.” Thereafter, they lost contact and could no longer reach her.

The development naturally caused concern among her loved ones. Her brother raised the alarm on Twitter after 24 hours of losing contact with her. Fortunately, on Saturday, April 26, her brother provided an update confirming that she had been found in Ogun State.

Some of the candidates preparing for the UTME had lost their lives in an auto crash on the Oyo-Ogbomoso Road. According to an online report, the accident occurred on a Saturday morning as the candidates were traveling to a UTME centre in Ogbomoso in a commercial vehicle.

In an unverified video which gained traction online, some students became unruly when their exam was delayed. According to the video, the frustrated candidates, who had sat for the previous UTME, turned violent following a technical glitch that delayed the commencement of the examination.

The incident was said to have taken place at the Abimbola Excel School Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre in Elesin area of Amuloko, located on Akanran Road in Ona Ara Local Government Area, Oyo State.

A video footage showed some visibly upset candidates vandalising plastic chairs and other items inside the examination hall in protest against their inability to take the exam at the scheduled time.

For candidates writing the UTME conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the experience has often been one of frustration. Although JAMB has made efforts to improve the process, particularly since the appointment of Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the challenges faced by candidates persist.

As in previous years, the 2025 UTME, which took place from Tuesday, April 24, to Saturday, May 5, 2025, was marked by numerous complaints from candidates and parents regarding the difficulties encountered during the exams. Unlike in the past when students from across the country took the exam on the same day and time, the process has changed due to the increasing number of students seeking admission into various universities.

A staggering 1,955,069 candidates reportedly sat the last UTME. To accommodate them, they were divided into three batches. While this new arrangement was likely necessitated by the surge in the number of admission seekers, it also brought its own set of challenges.

Our correspondent observed a tense atmosphere during a visit to one of the centres in Lagos. As early as 11 am, the CBT had started checking in the new batch of about 250 candidates. They were all crammed in a small space that left little room for breathing. Only one toilet was available for the 250 candidates at the centre, and it was situated in front of one of the candidates, making it difficult for him to concentrate. Those who needed to use the restroom found themselves waiting in line while their time was running.

A candidate who looked bedraggled while narrating his experience to our correspondent complained about the laptop computer allocated to him, saying: “It was as if all the odds were stacked against me. First, I had transportation issue before getting here; then I had to queue at the gate for several minutes before I was allowed in by the male security guard checking people in,” he said dejectedly.

Unfortunately, he had registered for Economics, Mathematics and Physics, three subjects requiring calculation. “What do you expect me to do when the laptop refused to function properly?” he asked, walking away in frustration. But while he managed to write the exam, Ade, another candidate, missed the exam completely. He said the several attempts he made to log into the portal were unsuccessful as his registration number was repeatedly declared invalid. Unfortunately, the person in charge of IT was unable to resolve the issue, confirming that his registration code was indeed showing ‘invalid’.

Our correspondent also noticed a mild drama at the centre when the security guard asked one of the candidates, “Did you not come last year?” The visibly embarrassed candidate stood transfixed for several minutes.

At another Lagos centre, the candidates for the second session experienced hitches while writing their English paper. As the exam commenced, some of them noticed that the English question paper was incomplete.

“As if they were aware of the problem, they asked us if we had any complaints. We told them that instead of 60 questions, we found only 55. Ten were without questions and only contained answer options. When we queried the invigilator about this, he responded harshly, asking whether he was the one who set the questions.

“It was only when another person, presumably a JAMB official, arrived that he told us to continue with the paper, assuring that the error would be rectified.

“That was how we had to proceed with the exam,” one of the candidates recalled.

In one of the centres, our correspondent gathered that those who had their exams scheduled for 7 am had to arrive a day earlier. One parent, Mr. Adeyemi Leke, who lived in Mowe, Ogun State, expressed concern when he learned that his son would be taking his exam at Akute, another Ogun community way off his residence.

He said: “Before now, I did not know anyone in the community. While I was complaining, a neighbour informed me about an acquaintance who could help. I contacted him, and he ended up accommodating my son.

“It was the first time my son would be staying with a stranger. Without the man, it would have been challenging for me to bring him to Akute that morning.”

Another parent, who expressed reservations about the 6:30 am accreditation time for the exam, pointed out that JAMB could do more to improve its operational structures. He considered the decision to schedule accreditation at 6:30 am to be overly troubling.

“About two years ago, I visited a JAMB centre to observe the process. Some of the students appeared completely lost! All I kept hearing was Daddy, Mummy,” he said.

Another parent said he had to spend a fortune to have his son write the UTME.

He said: “His centre was far away from my residence. I went with him and we had to stay in a hotel for the exam.

“Besides the money spent, it also denied me time to do other things.”

Many parents expressed dissatisfaction with the exorbitant accommodation fees charged by one of the accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Abia State.

Our correspondent gathered that a CBT centre located in the Ikwuano Local Government Area was among the few private universities serving as CBT centres for the examination. This centre reportedly charged candidates ₦10,000 for a bed space for one night, which particularly impacted those whose exams were scheduled for 6:30 a.m.

The candidates travelling from locations outside Ikwuano and Umuahia were especially affected. Some parents reported that their children, who shared rooms with other candidates, each paid ₦10,000, making it ₦20,000 for two people per room.

Many parents were shocked at the distance their children had to travel from places like Aba and Owerri to Ikwuano. Additionally, they complained about high food prices, alleging that the management charged ₦2,500 per meal, taking advantage of the centre’s remote location and leaving candidates with little choice but to pay the high price.

Two parents, Mrs. Charity and Mr. Clement, who were unaware of the centre’s remoteness and accommodation challenges, regretted not making thorough enquiries before the examination day. They said that they spent about ₦50,000 on transportation, feeding and accommodation to support their children, whose exams were scheduled for 6:30 am.

The parents questioned JAMB’s decision to select certain CBT centres and urged JAMB’s management to ensure due diligence when accepting proposals for centres. They also called for a review of the placement system to prevent candidates from being sent to distant locations for exams; a situation they believe jeopardises the safety of their children and families.

“We did not realise how far the place was,” one parent remarked. “I took my daughter from Aba to the school on Thursday and had to find accommodation in Umuahia. If I had known we would incur such expenses, I would have advised her to wait for the next examination year.”

Similar to issues experienced in Lagos, some CBT host communities also exploited the situation, extorting money from parents, especially those who drove to the centre. Many had to pay exorbitant fees to park their cars. Furthermore, some CBT hosts charged parents for spaces to stay while waiting for their children to finish their exams.

Another parent commented on the business-like approach of some CBT centres, questioning how candidates were assigned to distant locations. They suggested that JAMB should consider partnership with local institutions such as Abia Polytechnic in Aba, which has substantial computer lab resources to facilitate easier access to examinations.

In places like Umuahia and Aba, some candidates experienced issues with thumbprint verification during the exam. While examination officials said they were working to resolve these problems, they mentioned that candidates who were unable to verify their identities would be required to fill out a form to reschedule their exams with JAMB.

Sources also reported a significant incident at another CBT centre in Aba, where a generator malfunction occurred after candidates had begun their exams.

Communication gap

According to the instructions sent to candidates, in their slips, it was stated clearly that they should not bring any writing materials to the exam hall. However, on the morning of the exam, a new instruction was issued at the gates of one of the centres advising students to bring pencils.

As a result, some students who had already checked in, particularly those required to do calculations during the exam, were caught off guard. Those who received the news before entering panicked and many parents rushed to gather pencils for their children.

Unfortunately, parents of students who had already entered the hall had to plead for pencils to be delivered to their children, leading to local pencil vendors making brisk business.

Parents as distraction

Almost all the candidates who sat the last UTME attended the exam in the company of their parents. It was common to hear calls of “mummy” and “daddy,” which disturbed others. The waiting area became chaotic as parents occupied different spaces, often having to pay fees to sit in those areas. Those who drove encountered additional challenges due to a lack of parking spaces, and regardless of where they parked, they typically faced parking fees.

Nature’s elements at work

It has become a recurring issue that it rains every UTME month. The Saturday of the last UTME was not different as it rained in some parts of Lagos on that day.

Many candidates either missed their exams or came late due to the rain, while those who managed to arrive at the centre were soaked.

One parent said, “I think JAMB should reconsider the timing of the exams and schedule them outside the rainy season.

“My daughter is in her fourth year at a private university, and on the day of her JAMB exam, it poured heavily.

“We were fortunate not to miss the exam. Despite the weather challenges we witnessed on that day.

“I believe JAMB should shift the exam dates.”

Supervisor’s opinion

A supervisor who did a post-mortem analysis of the last UTME explained that most of the candidates did not even know how to use the computer.

According to him, at the centre that he supervised, many of the candidates were just staring at the computer after they were asked to type their registration number, login in and start the exam.

“When I went round to find out what could be the problem, the following were some of the answers I got:

. I do not know how to use capital letters (for the two letters at the end of the registration number).

. I made a mistake and I did not know how to delete the number.

.I do not know the key to use in choosing answers

.I do not know how to get to the next question

.I do not know how to change to the next subject

.I do not know how to submit and end the exam.

.I do not know how to use the mouse or the keyboard.

. I do not know where to find calculator on the screen.

“It was so frustrating that even when you directed them to press this key or click on the mouse, the candidate would ask you, ‘Sir, please where is it?’ And they would do as if it would bite them.

“I felt for one when I discovered that she only answered three questions out of 180 and told me that she answered all the questions. I discovered that she was not clicking the right bullet.

“The only three she had was the one I showed her where to click earlier, since she was always raising her hands.

“Most of the candidates were ignorant of the fact that any question they answered would automatically turn from red to green.

“You can imagine the number of these kinds of students (candidates) in all the centers.”

He therefore suggested that that the candidates should be sensitised in all the schools, especially those in the remote villages where there is no access to computers.

“Even those in urban centres need to upgrade,” he said.

He also observed that in each session of the exams only 10% seemed to know what to do and submitted on time. “Many were logged out at the end of the exams with so many unanswered questions. Some were even ready to submit less than one hour into the exam.

“From this experience, I think there is no exaggeration in the JAMB result as announced.”

He advised parents that rather than buying big phones for their wards and spending quality time on social media, “let us encourage them and find out how prepared they are for the exams.”

JAMB responds to claims

At the time of filing this report, there had been no response to a message the reporter sent to both the official email and phone number of JAMB.

However, during a question and answer session with journalists, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, dismissed concerns regarding the posting of candidates outside their vicinity.

Contrary to the claims made by some candidates and parents, the JAMB registrar stated that the exam has always started at 8 am. “The first session begins at 8 o’clock, the second session at 10:30, the third session at 1 PM, and the fourth session at 3:30 PM,” he explained.

He emphasised the importance of children arriving early due to preliminary exercises that must be completed before the exam.

“These children are young, and we need to let them know that if they don’t arrive by 8 am, they have preliminary tasks to complete,” he continued.

“We invited 250 students, and we needed to check their papers, which takes about 45 minutes. If we tell them to arrive at 6:30 am, I doubt anyone would say their child arrived at 7:30 am and was sent back.

“But if we set the arrival time at 7:30 am, how many of them would arrive on time for the exam?” Oloyede remarked.

He also criticised those who were questioning the process. In response to allegations that candidates were assigned to examination centres different from their chosen locations, he challenged those making these accusations, saying: “Bring one person who can prove that. If you find one, we will reward you generously.

“It would be unreasonable to place a candidate in a location they did not choose. They must have indicated their preferred location.”

Oloyede further explained that unknown to parents, some candidates can be deceitful.

“We have encountered many cases where a student selects Sokoto as a centre but tells their parents they chose Lagos. When you ask the student why they chose Sokoto, they often respond that they did so because they want to visit since they are from Sokoto.

“It’s puzzling that some parents would trust their children with their bank card but believe fabricated stories,” he said.

To substantiate his claims, Oloyede recalled a recent incident involving a man who confronted JAMB, accusing the examination body of assigning his ward to an exam centre outside the location he applied for in Katsina and instead directed him to Funtua.

“I asked for evidence,” Oloyede said. “When he provided it, I was taken aback. The student was assigned to Dr. Funtua CBT Centre in Katsina. When he arrived and was asked where he was going, he responded, ‘Dr. Funtua CBT Centre.’ The location was clearly stated.”

Oloyede urged the media to help educate the public, saying there shouldn’t be complaints about JAMB.

“People seem determined to find something to criticise. I don’t understand their rationale,” he said.

However, recognizing the enormity of challenges faced by candidates during the last UTME, and the plethora of complaints that trailed the release of the results, JAMB, through its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, Ph.D., earlier in the week issued a statement via its X handle, promising to address some of the challenges.

According to the statement titled, ‘Public Complaint Regarding the Release of the 2025 UTME, ‘ The JAMB acknowledged the volume of unusual complaints following the release of the 2025 UTME results, an ‘In response, the Board is fast forwarding its annual system review—a comprehensive post-mortem of the examination process that is conducted each year months after the exercise.

“The Board’s annual review encompasses three key stages: registration, examination, and result release. During the examination phase, JAMB ensures that every candidate is afforded the opportunity to sit for the test. Should any technical issues arise, the Board reschedules the examination for affected candidates without hesitation.

“We are particularly concerned about the unusual complaints originating from a few states within the Federation.

“We are currently scrutinising these complaints in detail to identify and rectify any potential technical issues.

“To assist in this process, we have engaged several experts, including members from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria, Chief External Examiners, who are heads of tertiary institutions, the Educational Assessment and Research Network in Africa, measurement experts, and Vice Chancellors from various institutions.

“If it is determined that there were indeed glitches, we will implement appropriate remedial measures promptly, as we do in the case of the examinations themselves.”

JAMB takes responsibility

However, in a sudden twist, the JAMB registrar, Oloyede, during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, admitted glitches in the last UTME.

Oloyede, who intermittently sobbed during the press conference, apologised for the trauma caused to the candidates.

While taking full responsibility for the negligence of its staff, he disclosed that 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres in Owerri Zone, covering the five states in the South East, would rewrite the exam.

“Today marks a moment we shall not soon forget – a day that should have been filled with celebration for what was, until recently, regarded as our most successful UTME exercise. Regrettably, this joy has been overshadowed by an easily avoidable error by one or two persons,” Oloyede said.

The JAMB registrar noted that 206,610 candidates in 65 centres were affected in the Lagos zone (comprising only Lagos State), in addition to 173,387 candidates in 92 centres that were affected in Owerri zone, which includes the SouthEast states.

“In clear terms, in rectifying the issue, the technical personnel deployed by the Service Provider for LAG (Lagos and South-East zones) inadvertently failed to update some of the delivery servers. Regrettably, this oversight went undetected prior to the release of the results,” Oloyede admitted.

The rescheduled UTME has begun in the different centres that were affected by the glitches.