A 15-year-old, Ezenala Ekene Franklin, from Imo State, has emerged the best candidate in the just concluded 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), scoring 347 marks considered to be the highest by the board.
This was even as 16-year old Igban Chidiebube from Abia State scored 346 marks, and a 17-year-old, Isaac Olamilekan from Osun State, scored 345 marks.
Registrar and CEO JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this on Saturday in Abuja.
He said that out of the 1,826,839 candidates who sat for this year’s UTME, the board has released the results of 1,792,719 candidates and withheld results of 34,120 candidates for further screening.
A further breakdown shows that 2,906 candidates scored above 300, about 57,579 candidates scored between 250 to 299, a total of 366,757 candidates scored between 200 to 249 and 361, 718 candidates scored between 180 to 199.
Oloyede, who raised concerns over the age and choice of the institution by Franklin, the overall best candidate, noted that he might not be admitted into the university of Lagos, as age 15 was considered underage by the institution.
While urging candidates to check their results through the mobile phones used for the UTME registration by texting RESULT to 55019 between now and Wednesday, he warned candidates not to approach any Computer Based Test (CBT) centre or cyber cafe until they check and know their real results through the registered mobile phone.
“For the 2019 UTME, 1,886,508 candidates registered including those who registered at the foreign centres. Out of this number, which excludes the Direct Entry candidates, 59,667 were absent.
“A total of 1,826,839 sat the UTME. Today, we are releasing the results of 1,792,719 candidates. Some 34,120 results are being withheld including the results of 15,145 candidates being further clarified as identical twins and siblings. Those who have facial identities in multiples are cross-checked further by ascertaining their fingerprints.
“There is no need to approach any CBT Centre or cyber café to check results. Those who were ABSENT, got their Registration CANCELLED or have their results WITHHELD will be told,” he said.
Expressing shock and dismay over the strategies deployed for examination malpractices by fraudsters, Oloyede revealed that 116 centres had been delisted or suspended.
He added that 18 out of the 116 CBT centres were sanctioned by the Governing board with suspension ranging between one to three years, for registration related misconduct.
According to him, the strategies deployed include; multiple registrations, impersonation, deliberate disruption of the examination process, manipulation of biometrics, the collusion of some private CBT centres with parents, a syndicate of close centres and extortion of candidates.
“The foundation of examination malpractice is laid at the point of registration with the active connivance of some CBT centre owners who allowed themselves to be infiltrated by some owners of tutorial classes.
“Someone, for instance, registered as many as 23 times for just a single examination. Two examples of this case are in the Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare, where someone’s finger(s) was discovered in 42 person’s registration and Bauchi State University, Gadau, where one person’s is traced to the registration of 64 candidates with a view to allowing any of the finger-contributing impersonators to access the examination hall.
“Another example was in Borno State wherein Nassara Computer Academy Maiduguri 233 candidates had one particular finger included in each of their biometric registration,” he explained.
