JAMB Refutes Reports Barring Undergraduates From UTME, Says Failure To Disclose Is Offence

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has dismissed claims that
candidates already in universities were barred from registering for the 2026
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE).
The Board dismissed the claims in a statement by its spokesperson, Dr Fabian
Benjamin, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Benjamin said the claims were a distortion of its guidelines by self-styled
education advocates seeking attention and traffic on social media platforms.
He said the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement clearly directed candidates to disclose
their matriculation status during registration, in line with its mandate to prevent
multiple admissions, adding that it was not an offence for a candidate already
enrolled in an institution to register for the UTME or Direct Entry examinations.
The JAMB spokesperson said that failure to disclose an existing matriculation
status constituted an offence under the law governing admissions.
Benjamin stated that disclosure meant that once a candidate secured a fresh
admission, any previous admission automatically ceases to exist.
He said that no candidate was legally permitted to hold two admissions
concurrently under Nigeria’s admission regulations, adding that mandatory
disclosure has helped to curb the activities of matriculated students engaging as
professional examination takers.
The spokesperson warned that candidates who failed to disclose prior to
matriculation, risk forfeiting both admissions, if detected by its system.
He, however, urged the public to rely on official guidelines and avoid misleading
interpretations circulated for selfish interests.