Miss Mmesoma reportedly manually inflated her results, claiming she scored 362
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said a certain Ejikeme Mmesoma (Joy) who had earlier been celebrated to have scored the highest mark in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) falsified her result.
The board has also threatened to withdraw the candidate's actual results for allegedly falsely announcing herself as the top-scorer of the computer-based test used to rank candidates seeking admissions into Nigerian universities.
According to JAMB, Miss Mmesoma's actual score in the test was 249 and not the 362 she claimed to have scored.
"The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to several publications in both print and online media celebrating certain candidates for being high scorers in the 2023 UTME," a statement by the board reads. "The Board is constrained to set the records straight and wishes to state unequivocally that many of the results which many of these candidates are parading are fake."
Exposing fake result
JAMB said the candidate's 'fake result' was exposed when a top official of the Anambra State Government reached out to JAMB for confirmation of the claim ahead of a planned honour.
"She was even set to be honoured by the Anambra State Government when one of its top officials put a call through to JAMB to confirm her claim, only for the Board to reveal that Miss Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had actually scored 249 and not the 362 she claimed," JAMB said.
PREMIUM TIMES also recalled that Ms Mmesoma's name was not included in the list of the top 10 candidates presented by the JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, during the board's policy meeting with heads of tertiary institutions last week.
Best candidate
The overall best candidate, according to Mr Oloyede, was Umeh Nkechinyere with registration number 202330325356GA. Miss Nkechineye, an indigene of Anambra state, scored 360 points. She applied to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos.
Unmerited accolades
Miss Mmesoma, said to be an indigene of Enugu State, resides in Nnewi, Anambra State, where she is a student of the Anglican Girls Secondary School (AGSS) Nnewi, Anambra state.
She claimed to have scored 98 points in English Language, 89 points in Physics, 94 points in Biology and 81 points in Chemistry to get 362 of the total 400 points.
The 'feat' fetched her accolades from Nigerians on social media including the Anambra State Government and the founder of Innoson Vehicles, Innocent Chukwuma, who promised her a N3 million scholarship.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, congratulated the candidate and her school.
"This result has demonstrated the investment and priority the administration of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo accords to the education sector in the state," Mr Aburime wrote in a statement. "Anambra state has once again demonstrated its pride of place as the cradle of academic excellence in the country."
On his part, the Innoson Vehicle founder, Mr Chukwuma, said he hoped the scholarship would inspire other candidates to strive for excellence in their academic pursuits.
"Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (IVM) company will continue to demonstrate its commitment towards social responsibility through various initiatives, including scholarship awards, jobs creation, and support for local communities."
Legit quoted the Innoson founder as speaking when he received Miss Mmesoma and her father at his Umudim Nnewi country home. "This latest scholarship award is a testament to our' dedication to empowering young Nigerians, and investing," he said.
Face-saving
Meanwhile, JAMB said Miss Mmesoma had also quickly requested her 2022 UTME result for possible alteration.
However, JAMB said, unknown to the candidate, it had changed the design for the results, making it difficult for her to change the score recorded in 2022.
JAMB said: "It is to be noted that Miss Mmesoma had sent a message to the Board's platform to request her UTME result, after which she manually inflated her scores and pasted the same on the 2022 UTME result sheet.
"Unknown to her, the Board had changed the design of the 2023 UTME result sheet. Her original result remains 249, as nothing can change that. With this her ignoble act, Miss Mmesoma would be prosecuted and her original result withdrawn."
Other candidates with similar fake results
Apart from Miss Mmesoma, JAMB said other candidates have also inflated their results to deceive people.
JAMB cited another case of Atung Gerald in Kaduna State, who reportedly claimed to have scored 380 in the UTME.
But JAMB said Mr Atung never obtained the 2023 UTME forms "not to talk of sitting the examination."
"In many instances, some of these candidates had actually obtained far lower scores than they are claiming and had used some funny software packages to manipulate their results to deceive unsuspecting members of the public," it said.
The agency, therefore, advised the public to always cross check these claims by candidates before rushing to honour them with undeserving awards.
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Meanwhile, JAMB has said it would withdraw the results of Miss Mmesoma and also prosecute her.
"This is not all, as the Board would, in due course, investigate all candidates laying claims to higher scores than they actually obtained. Once discovered, such candidates' original results would be withdrawn forthwith, and they would be handed over to relevant security agencies for prosecution."
The top 10 candidates
Here are the top 12 candidates in the 2023 UTME as presented by JAMB.
Umeh Kamsiyochukwu Nkechinyere, 360
Aguele Stephen Osezuha, 358
Ositade Oluwafemi Anthony, 358
Gbolahan Azeem Ayinde, 357
John Fulfilment Ibhanfiodon, 3556,
Duruji Chimdubem Ugonna, 355
Adesanya Jermaine Oluwaiomiloiu, 355
Shittu Priscilla Adedunni, 355
Atenisumen Enoch Oluwagbemisoke 355
Adetunji Victor Adewale, 355
Ofonime Iniobon Idongesit, 355
Imoukhuede Andrew Onayeme, 355
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
