JAMB uncovers College of Education issuing fake NCE Certificates for Direct Entry Admissions

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a disturbing case of certificate fraud involving a College of Education in Ibadan, accused of issuing fake Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) qualifications to individuals who were never enrolled in its programs.

These forged certificates were reportedly used to secure admission into higher institutions through the Direct Entry (DE) process.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made the revelation while speaking with newsmen during the monitoring of the 2025 Mop-Up UTME in Abuja. He disclosed that several individuals presented these fraudulent NCE certificates during the ongoing DE registration exercise.

“A new one that we discovered yesterday in the ongoing registration was that about 20 to 30 students who did not go through NCE were being awarded NCE certificates in order to be able to register for Direct Entry,” Oloyede said. He cited an instance where a secondary school graduate from the class of 2021 was fraudulently documented as admitted for NCE in 2020 and purportedly graduated by 2023.

According to the JAMB Registrar, suspects linked to the forgery have already been arrested. He commended the swift intervention of the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, assuring that all those involved—including the Provost, admission officers, students, and parents—would face legal consequences.

Prof. Oloyede also highlighted the progress JAMB has made in tackling forged documents in Direct Entry admissions, noting that 14 candidates were recently apprehended for presenting fake certificates.

The registrar warned that the Board would continue to strengthen its screening process to expose and prosecute anyone attempting to circumvent admission rules through document fraud.