News
Mass failure: JAMB, VCs to review UTME results Thursday

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will on Thursday review the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination following what it described as “unusual” public complaints.
A notice seen by The PUNCH in Abuja confirmed that the review meeting would bring together vice-chancellors, provosts, rectors, school principals, examiners, and technical experts to scrutinise the examination process and address the widespread dissatisfaction expressed by candidates and stakeholders.
This development comes in the wake of mounting protests from candidates and parents over the results released last Friday, with many alleging technical glitches and inconsistencies during the exam.
According to the official notice, the review panel, which includes members from the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, the Educational Assessment and Research Network, and top officials from Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, will evaluate the conduct and outcome of the 2025 UTME.
“In furtherance of the commitment of the board to earn public confidence in its processes, the management of the board has approved your participation to be part of the review panel constituted to appraise the conduct of the examination with the mandate to identify challenges, if any, and proffer relevant recommendations to prevent a recurrence,” the notice reads in part.
It added that the panel’s assignment will be at no cost to the board.
The UTME is a critical prerequisite for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It tests candidates in four subjects, including the compulsory Use of English, with the other three drawn from their proposed field of study.
Of the 1.9 million candidates who sat the UTME, over 1.5 million reportedly scored below 200 out of the maximum 400 marks, raising concerns across the education sector.
According to the examination agency, a total of 1,955,069 results were processed, out of which only 4,756 candidates (0.24 per cent) scored 320 and above, considered top-tier performance, while 7,658 candidates (0.39 per cent) scored between 300 and 319, bringing the total for those who scored 300 and above to 12,414 candidates (0.63 per cent).
Also, 73,441 candidates (3.76 per cent) scored between 250 and 299 while 334,560 candidates (17.11 per cent) scored between 200 and 249.
A total of 983,187 candidates (50.29 per cent) scored between 160 and 199, which is widely regarded as the minimum threshold for admissions in many institutions.
In the same vein, 488,197 candidates (24.97 per cent) scored between 140 and 159, 57,419 candidates (2.94 per cent) scored between 120 and 139, 3,820 candidates (0.20 per cent) scored between 100 and 119, and 2,031 candidates (0.10 per cent) scored below 100.
Over 75 per cent of all candidates (1.5 million) scored below 200, average score seeing as the examination is graded over 400.
Some affected candidates threatened to initiate a lawsuit against JAMB.
Responding to the controversy, JAMB’s spokesman, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, on Monday said the board was accelerating its annual post-examination system review, which typically assesses the registration, examination, and result phases months after the exercise.
“We are particularly concerned about the unusual complaints originating from a few states within the federation,” Benjamin stated.
“We are currently scrutinising these complaints in detail to identify and rectify any potential technical issues.
”According to the statement, the board is scrutinising these complaints in detail to identify and rectify potential technical issues.
JAMB said the annual review encompasses three key stages: registration, examination, and result release.
It explained that during the examination, JAMB ensures that every candidate is afforded the opportunity to sit the test, and should any technical issues arise, the board reschedules the examination for affected candidates.
JAMB said experts have been engaged to assist in the review.
The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while reacting to the results said that the performance statistics for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination are in line with results recorded over the past 12 years.
He emphasised, however, that such results are not unusual and align with historical patterns.
“This is not peculiar to this year. The performance statistics are consistent with those of the last 12 years,” he said.
In 2024, 76 per cent of candidates who sat the UTME scored less than 200 points.
In 2022, 1.3 million candidates out of 1.7 million – or 78 per cent – who sat the 2022 UTME scored below 200, according to JAMB.
In 2021, only 803 candidates out of 1.3 million – or 0.06 per cent – who sat the 2021 UTME scored above 300.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, while also reacting to the results, said the high failure rate in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination was clear evidence that the government’s anti-malpractice measures were yielding results, especially within the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board system.
Meanwhile, the JAMB board assured that any candidate affected by technical disruptions during the examination would be given another opportunity to write the test, in line with its established procedures.
Commenting on the performance outcome, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, maintained that the results reflect the federal government’s strengthened efforts to combat examination malpractice and ensure integrity in the admissions process.
But candidates and parents have continued to allege discrepancies in the released results with some calling on the Board to release the modalities with which it scored each candidate.
Some candidates have rejected their results, insisting they do not reflect their actual performance.
A group of candidates, numbering over 8,000, reportedly submitted complaints regarding technical glitches experienced during the examination.
A social media user, @Pennyfabz, who scored 156 expressed concerns, saying she had previously scored 285 in the previous edition of the UTME.
“Dear @JAMBHQ, Something is wrong with my result. I’m very confident that this is not what I’m meant to get. Please look into this matter. I’m seriously comforting myself that everything is okay.
Please listen to our plea. I can’t go from 285 to 156,” the candidate posted on X.A parent also called for a review, saying, “We demand a remark from JAMB. These are exceptional students scoring below 200.
Many complained of incomplete questions and other technical issues. JAMB has said nothing. This cannot be swept under the rug.
”Meanwhile, it was not all about protests against the results as history was made with Afolabi Ayodeji, a 15-year-old student from Icons Comprehensive College in Ijapo Estate, Akure, Ondo State, scored 370 out of 400 maximum marks obtainable, setting a landmark record in the 2025 UTME result.
A breakdown of his scores, according to JAMB, indicates: Mathematics — 98, Physics — 98, Chemistry — 94 and Use of English — 80, highlighting his exceptional grasp of both the sciences and language subjects.
Ayodeji’s 370 score is the highest recorded in over a decade, marking a noteworthy milestone in Nigeria’s education sector in over a decade.
According to data from JAMB, no individual has attained a score of 370 since the inception of the board’s computer-based test in 2013, making his feat the highest in this era.
“I didn’t set out to break any record; I just wanted to give my best. I thank God, my parents, and my teachers for believing in me,” Ayodeji said after his feat.
News
BREAKING: Tinubu swears in Amupitan as new INEC Chair

President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The ceremony followed the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment last week after a rigorous screening session on October 16.
At the swearing-in, President Tinubu tasked Amupitan with safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and strengthening INEC’s institutional capacity.
“As the chairman of INEC, your nomination and confirmation reflect the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and legislative arms of government. This marks the start of a challenging yet rewarding journey, and I trust you will approach your duties with integrity, dedication, and patriotism,” Tinubu said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s democratic progress over 25 years, the President emphasized the need for continuous innovation and reform to maintain free, fair, and credible elections. He urged Amupitan to ensure transparency and public trust throughout the entire electoral process—from voter registration and campaigning to voting and counting.
Amupitan, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), arrived at the State House on Thursday dressed in traditional white agbada and gold cap ahead of the formal ceremony. He was accompanied by presidential aides.
During his Senate screening, the 58-year-old nominee pledged to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process by prioritizing reforms, including strengthening the Electoral Act to resolve inconsistencies in election timelines and enhance transparency.
“We must conduct elections where even the loser congratulates the winner fairly,” Amupitan told senators, emphasizing the need to rebuild voter confidence.
He also clarified his neutrality by denying any involvement in President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, stating, “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any party.”
Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the sixth substantive INEC chairman since the commission’s establishment. He is expected to immediately begin the transition process at INEC headquarters in Abuja following his swearing-in.
Profile
Born on April 25, 1967, the 58-year-old Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He is also an alumnus of the university.
He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.
After completing primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987. He was called to the bar in 1988.
Amupitan earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, amid an academic career that began in 1989, following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in Bauchi from 1988 to 1989.
He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.
Among the academic positions he has held at UNIJOS are: Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014); and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).
Outside of academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles. He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).
Amupitan is the author of many books on law, such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles(2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria(2013), Principles of Company Law(2013) and an Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).
He is married and has four children.
Business
Dangote denies owning truck that killed eight in Ondo accident

Dangote Group has denied owning the truck that crushed a pregnant woman, a child, and six others to death in an accident in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The company issued the clarification in a statement on its X account on Wednesday.
The statement followed reports that a cement-laden truck suffered brake failure and rammed into traders and other road users.
Reacting, Dangote Group said the truck involved in the tragic incident does not belong to the group or any of its subsidiaries.
It added that vehicle registration records confirm the truck is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group.
“Dangote Group has refuted reports circulating on social media and in some online platforms linking it to a truck involved in a road accident in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
“The company wishes to make it categorically clear that the truck involved in the unfortunate incident does not belong to Dangote Group or any of its subsidiaries.
“Verified vehicle registration details confirm that the truck with Plate No. JJJ 365 XB is owned and operated by an independent logistics company with no affiliation to Dangote Group,” the statement reads.
News
VIDEO: Sowore Arrested at Federal High Court Premises, Abuja, After Meeting Nnamdi Kanu.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the policeman said.

Police operatives have arrested former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Sowore was forcibly taken away by armed police officers from the Federal High Court premises in Abuja on Thursday, October 23, 2025, shortly after attending the court session of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Sowore, who has been leading campaigns for Kanu’s release, was confronted by security operatives who insisted he accompany them to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the officers surrounded him moments after he exited the courtroom, refusing to disclose specific details about his alleged offence.
When questioned by onlookers, one of the policemen stated that they were acting on the directive of the FCT Commissioner of Police.
“The commissioner of police said we should bring you to the office,” the policeman said.
As of the time of filing this report, the reason for Sowore’s arrest and his current whereabouts remain unclear.
Credit: Punch
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