JUPEB Fraud: 48 Lecturers, Security Officers, Arrested To Face The Music

Reports have it that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) have jointly arrested 48 persons for their alleged illegal roles in the conduct of the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB). JUPEB is an advanced level educational examination that qualifies candidates for admission into 200-level in any Nigerian and foreign universities through direct entry.

The spokesperson for ICPC, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, said in a statement in Abuja that the suspects were arrested in joint operation, tagged ‘Operation Combo’ conducted in collaboration with the ministry of education. She said the suspects were arrested from Wellspring University, Benin, Edo State; Christopher University, Mowe, Ogun State; and Crown-Hill University, Ilorin, Kwara State.

She said the joint operation led to the arrests of the lecturers, security officers, workers and students from some of the participating universities in the examination. “Operation Combo was carried out by the operatives of ICPC and DSS in seven states after extensive monitoring of tutorial schools allegedly known for notoriously compromising JUPEB examinations. This has led to the arrest of the president of Tutorial School Owners.

“The operation, a consequence of the sustained period of surveillance and undercover investigations spanning several weeks, led to multiple arrests of suspects including parents of candidates of the exam. Also arrested were lecturers and others involved in examination malpractices and other illegalities in the participating institutions.”

She also stated that a similar operation was carried out at McPherson and Precious Cornerstone universities in Ibadan and Ilara-Epe in Oyo State respectively that led to more arrests of suspects. The ICPC spokesperson said credible intelligence gathered during the operations showed active involvement of the parents of the students and the management of the universities.

“Three current vice-chancellors have been invited by ICPC for their roles in the unchecked and massive malpractices reported. It was revealed that syndicated social media platforms were created by the facilitators for leaking questions and circulating answers to students for a fee during examinations.

“Investigation also revealed that candidates, who are mostly minors, allegedly paid between N350, 000 to N500, 000 each to the suspects in the various tutorial schools to engage in the illegalities. The cartel, in connivance with the coordinators of the examination centres and other management staff of the institutions, deliberately allowed security lapses to enable the candidates to go into examination halls with smartphones.

“Also, other electronic devices were allowed to send question papers to waiting groups online and subsequently, receive answers to questions thereby engaging in massive malpractices. Some of the suspects arrested have been granted administrative bail while an investigation is ongoing,” she added.

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