JAMB suspends two registration agents over extortion

For allegedly extorting candidates in the ongoing registration exercise for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has suspended two centres.

The centres were sanctioned for collecting N6, 500 instead of the approved N5, 700 from candidates for e-form.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos during an-on the-spot assessment of the ongoing registration exercise, JAMB Registrar, Prof I’shaq Oloyede called for immediate blockage of access and activities of the two erring centres from the agency’s portal.

Oloyede visited the JKK Computer-Based-Test Centre, Ilupeju and the West Africa Examination Council’s (WAEC) centre, Ogba.

He added that another JAMB agent was also on suspension for not complying with the rules and regulations of the board.

According to him, every agent was paid five per cent of the total money.

“The money was collected by JAMB, and every Friday, we pay them for the week. We’ve already paid over N300 million in commissions, so there’s no need to extort candidates,” he said.

Oloyede also emphasised that the registration time would not be extended beyond February 12, 2023, saying the board expected registration of 100,000 per day, but had been within 62,000 per day.

Answering questions from journalists, the registrar said the board would never allow CBT centres exploit candidates registering for UTME.

While disclosing that a total of 533, 084 candidates had so far registered across the country, he said the organisation expects about 1.8 million registered candidates for this year’s examination.