JAMB Releases List of Underage Candidates Who Passed Screening
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of 85 underage candidates who successfully completed the comprehensive screening process established by the Board for exceptional admission.
According to the Board, the successful underage candidates were less than 16 by September 2025, adding that 85 underage candidates were cleared out of 182 finalists.
A statement by JAMB Spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, on Monday said that after meticulous evaluation, 85 candidates adjudged to be qualified have been duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete the admission process and print their individual JAMB admission letters.
“This policy of exceptional admission is consistent with global best practices, where such cases are treated as rare exceptions rather than the norm.
“It is to be noted that in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), of the 2,031,133 applicants, a total of 41,027 candidates sought consideration under this special category, of which 599 scored the 80% threshold in the UTME. These 599 were subjected to further scrutiny of school certificates and PUTME screening, which led to the emergence of 182 candidates (178+4). After due verification, interviews, and screening, 85 candidates were found to have met the criteria and have consequently been cleared for admission,” the statement read.
It announced that any of the 182 underage finalist candidates who, for valid reasons, missed the final interview are advised to submit a formal request through the JAMB Support Ticketing System.
According to the Board, such requests should be made under the newly created category titled “2025 Underage Complaint.” Each case, JAMB stated, will be reviewed individually, and decisions will be taken strictly on merit. The window, it emphasised, applies only to the 182 finalists who could not attend the final interview for justifiable reasons.
The Board also extended an opportunity to candidates who scored 320 and above in the 2025 UTME but were disqualified for failing to upload their O-Level results. Such candidates have been given two days—up to Wednesday, 29th October 2025—to upload their results and notify the Board through the ticketing system.
JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring fairness and transparency in the admission process, stressing that all complaints and uploads must be completed within the stipulated period to be considered.
Last month, JAMB revealed widespread examination malpractice during the 2025 UTME.
According to findings from its Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI), a total of 4,251 cases of “finger blending” — a biometric manipulation technique used to beat fingerprint verification — were detected across examination centres.
Presenting its report at JAMB headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Jake Epelle, identified 190 instances of Artificial Intelligence–assisted impersonation, where candidates allegedly relied on image morphing technology to falsify their identities.
Dr. Epelle disclosed that the committee uncovered 1,878 cases of false disability claims, alongside incidents of forged documents, multiple National Identification Number (NIN) registrations, and collusion between candidates and organised examination syndicates.
