Oloyede: 15,000 Candidates Forged Admission Letters for NYSC Mobilisation

By Newsworld Nigeria
Abuja —

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has uncovered a massive admission fraud involving over 15,000 candidates who allegedly forged admission letters to gain mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

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Speaking during a strategic meeting with heads of tertiary institutions and other key stakeholders in Abuja, Oloyede disclosed that the fraudulent scheme was exposed through the board’s Integrated Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) — a platform designed to authenticate and monitor genuine admissions across Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

According to him, the discovery followed months of internal audits and inter-agency data verification between JAMB, tertiary institutions, and the NYSC. The findings revealed that a significant number of candidates manipulated or fabricated fake JAMB admission letters to participate in the mandatory one-year national service.

“We discovered that about 15,000 candidates who claimed to have been admitted by various institutions were never offered admission through JAMB. These individuals presented forged admission letters to NYSC for mobilisation,” Oloyede said.
“This is a serious form of academic fraud and national deception that we cannot overlook. It is criminal and must be treated as such.”

How the Admission Forgery Was Discovered

Oloyede explained that JAMB’s CAPS platform automatically crosschecks admission data sent from institutions with its central database. During the latest verification round, thousands of discrepancies were detected — including mismatched names, institutions, and admission years.

The anomalies prompted JAMB to dig deeper, uncovering a coordinated effort by some individuals to bypass the central admission system. In many cases, forged admission letters were produced with fake serial numbers, falsified institution names, or altered course details.

According to JAMB’s findings, some of the fraudulent letters were sold to unsuspecting candidates by corrupt agents, while others were manually edited by the candidates themselves using graphic design software.

“These fake admissions were used to deceive NYSC officials for mobilisation. However, we now have a strong inter-agency verification system that will ensure that no fake admission slips pass undetected,” Oloyede added.

JAMB, NYSC, and Security Agencies Collaborate

In response to the discovery, JAMB has launched a joint investigation in collaboration with the NYSC, Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigerian Police Force to trace the origin of the fake admission letters.

The board also vowed to prosecute anyone involved — including institution officials or JAMB staff found complicit in the fraud.

Oloyede stressed that the case represents a broader challenge of data integrity and accountability within Nigeria’s education system. He noted that fraudulent mobilisation not only undermines the credibility of higher education but also affects the quality of human capital being deployed for national service.

“No candidate will henceforth be mobilised for NYSC without valid JAMB admission records. The days of backdoor admission and illegal mobilisation are over,” he said.

The Registrar further disclosed that JAMB is implementing new digital tracking and verification tools that will automatically detect inconsistencies between school records and JAMB’s database before any candidate is cleared for NYSC mobilisation.

Institutions Warned Against Complicity

Oloyede also warned heads of institutions to strictly adhere to JAMB’s admission guidelines. He accused some schools of aiding irregular admissions by issuing internal letters to students who never passed through the JAMB system.

“We have observed that some institutions still conduct admissions outside our approved platform. Such actions encourage fraud and must stop immediately. Any institution caught will face serious sanctions,” he warned.

He urged tertiary institutions to maintain transparency, ensure that all admitted students are properly captured in JAMB’s CAPS, and verify the authenticity of any candidate’s admission before sending names to NYSC for mobilisation.

Public Advised to Verify Admission Status

JAMB advised candidates and parents to always confirm admission status directly from JAMB’s official website before paying school fees, registering for NYSC, or engaging third-party agents.

The board reiterated that every legitimate admission must appear on the CAPS portal and carry a valid JAMB registration number.

Candidates whose names are not on the JAMB database will not be mobilised for NYSC or recognized as genuine graduates by the Nigerian higher education system.

“We urge candidates to protect their future by avoiding shortcuts and fake documents. Any student who forged admission letters will face criminal prosecution,” Oloyede emphasized.

Implications for NYSC and the Education Sector

The revelation has raised concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s admission and mobilisation processes, especially at a time when the NYSC scheme is battling cases of document falsification and illegal participation.

Education analysts have called for stronger collaboration among JAMB, NYSC, and tertiary institutions to ensure real-time data sharing, verification, and strict enforcement of penalties.

Experts believe that Oloyede’s exposure of the 15,000 forged admission letters highlights the need for digital transparency and accountability across the nation’s academic institutions.