The suspects all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
A Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, has remanded four persons for registration impersonation and examination malpractices during the just concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed development to our reporter on Tuesday evening.
The suspects- Peter Okereke, 29; Timilehin Akinwale, 22, and Olayinka Mustapha, 23, were arraigned for registration impersonation while Feranmi Adesuyi, 29, was arraigned for examination impersonation.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
The prosecuting counsel, Moses Osimhen, prayed that the court remand the suspects at Olokuta prison pending the date for hearing.
But the defendants' counsel, Clement Falana and Austin Agbounghale, asked the court to grant the suspects bail, arguing that it was a bailable offence.
The presiding judge, Justice T.B Adegoke, thereby ordered the suspects to be remanded at Olokuta Prison and adjourned the case till 12 July for hearing.
Offence details
According to the charge sheet, 29-year-old Feranmi Adesuyi was said to have "on or about the 28th day of April, 2023 at Amable Nigeria Limited CBT Centre, Owo, during the 2023 JAMB (UTME) Examination in Ondo State, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire with one Sanusi Tunde who is now at large, to complete his registration and also impersonate the said Sanusi Tunde for the JAMB Exam and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 10 of Examination Malpractices Act, Cap E15, LFN, 2004 and punishable under section 3(2)(c) of Examination Malpractice Act, Cap E15 Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004."
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Meanwhile, Messrs Okereke, Akinwale and Mustapha were accused of impersonating Folarin Damlok, Kazeem Olamilekan and Tijani Sheun respectively "contrary to section 3(3)(c) of Examination Malpractice Act, Cap E15, LFN, 2004 and punishable under the same section."
Clampdown
JAMB had continued its clampdown on malpractices in the UTME and the use of fake results in the Direct Entry registration. This is as it has announced that applicants for direct entry admission to universities would henceforth sit UTME to justify their possession of A-level results.
Direct Entry: JAMB announces new deadline for pin sales, registration
It said the new development is part of the measures to curb the malpractices already identified with direct entry application.
Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe
