'Professor' Arrested In Abuja For Aiding Daughter To Cheat During UTME

A self-acclaimed professor, identified only as Jide, has been arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, after he was caught assisting his daughter during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in the Jabi area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board confirmed Jide’s arrest on Thursday, which was the first day of the UTME, noting that the man sneaked into a Computer-Based Test centre in Jabi but he was later arrested by operatives and was now in custody.

Our correspondent learnt that Jide was arrested at the Brix Academy CBT Centre in Jabi while the UTME was on, trying to assist his daughter in the examination.

The JAMB Head of Information and Public Affairs, Dr Fabian Benjamin, in an interview with our correspondent, said the NSCDC would go on with Jide’s prosecution at the end of its investigations.

He said, “In Brix Academy in Jabi, a man penetrated the system, broke all security barriers, went into the examination hall and assisted his daughter. When arrested, he claimed to be a professor and also the owner of a non-governmental organisation. He has been picked up and he is with the security operatives. We believe that in no distant time, he will be prosecuted.

“He was not able to carry out his nefarious activity. He claimed to be a professor from a university outside the country.”

Benjamin noted that the outing for the UTME on Thursday was “successful and impressive,” adding that despite a few challenges in some centres, the board believed that the examination would get better.

A total of 1,855,643 candidates would be taking the UTME which would run till Monday.