JAMB Insider Opens Up on Allegations UTME Glitch Targeted Igbo Candidates

A senior official within the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has debunked widespread accusations that the recent technical glitch in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was a deliberate move to sabotage candidates of Igbo origin. The glitch, which affected the results of 379,997 candidates across 157 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Lagos and the South-east, has stirred controversy and drawn backlash from various quarters, including socio-cultural groups and academics.

While JAMB has acknowledged the error and taken steps to rectify the issue by rescheduling exams for the affected candidates, critics have alleged ethnic bias. The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) and several prominent voices on social media accused the board of deliberately targeting Igbo students in both the South-east and Lagos State. The OYC claimed the incident was part of a historical pattern of marginalization, while others described it as a “terrorist attack” against the Igbo community.

Speaking anonymously to Premium Times, a JAMB official dismissed these claims as baseless and divisive. The source emphasized that several key personnel involved in processing the affected results are themselves of Igbo descent. Among them are Jeffrey Onochi, the chief operating officer of the IT service provider responsible for the error, Stanley Agu from Imo State, John Chima Iheonu from Abia State, and JAMB supervisors Uche Ohielo and Collins Ojiere, who oversaw the Lagos and Owerri zones, respectively. The Owerri Zonal Office is also led by Gloria Anyaegbu from Anambra State.

“There is no way these people will deliberately sabotage candidates from their own areas,” the official said. “The idea that this was a targeted act is completely nonsensical. JAMB staff and partners are professionals and do not operate based on ethnic, political, or religious biases.”

JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyede had earlier announced that the glitch affected 65 CBT centres in Lagos and 92 in the South-east, following an internal review prompted by concerns over unusually low scores from candidates who typically perform well. Out of nearly 1.9 million candidates who sat the exam, nearly 380,000 were impacted.

Despite JAMB’s efforts to clarify and correct the situation, criticism has persisted. Oyibo Eze, chair of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, echoed concerns about systemic targeting, noting that a large proportion of those who scored below 200 in the UTME were from areas heavily populated by Igbos. Social media users have continued to amplify similar narratives, prompting JAMB to reiterate its position.

“The registrar has been truthful about the glitch,” the official insisted. “There’s no iota of truth in the claim that it was aimed at any ethnic group. These narratives only serve to divide and distract from the real work of correcting the issue and supporting students.”