The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has arrested two candidates and a parent for allegedly falsifying 2026 UTME results using artificial intelligence and other electronic tools, as it released scores for 632,788 candidates who sat the exam on April 16.

The development highlights growing concerns over digital manipulation of examination records.

What happened

JAMB disclosed that the suspects were caught altering official SMS result notifications to fabricate scores and mislead parents and guardians.

According to the board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the individuals are currently in custody and under investigation.

“Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” he said.

How the manipulation was done

The board explained that the suspects tampered with messages sent from its official result-checking platforms to present fake scores.

JAMB warned that any attempt to alter or falsify examination results constitutes a serious criminal offence.

JAMB issues warning

Benjamin cautioned candidates against interfering with official result messages sent through JAMB’s SMS channels, stressing that offenders will face prosecution.

He said the board remains committed to protecting the integrity of its examination process.

How to check results

Candidates who sat for the April 16 exam can check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number used during registration.

JAMB noted that candidates can currently view their scores only, while printing of result slips will be enabled later.

Ongoing examination

The 2026 UTME commenced on April 16 and is scheduled to run until April 22 across centres nationwide, with results being released in batches.