JAMB CBT Hacked: DSS, Police Arrest 20 Over ₦2m Exam Result Fraud Syndicate

JAMB CBT Hacked: DSS, Police Arrest 20 Over ₦2m Exam Result Fraud Syndicate

No fewer than 20 suspects have been arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force in Abuja for allegedly hacking the 2025 Computer-Based Test (CBT) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The suspects are believed to be part of a larger syndicate of over 100 individuals who specialize in infiltrating the servers of major examination bodies such as JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Security sources revealed that the suspects have confessed to sabotaging the CBT system with the aim of discrediting JAMB and discouraging the use of computer-based testing for future WAEC and NECO exams.

According to one source, a suspect explained how the syndicate operated: they would install attack software onto the hardware used by examination bodies.

The source added:

“The software, in turn, would remotely hack JAMB servers at any targeted CBT centre.”

Suspects have reportedly been arrested from various states, including Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Kano, and Delta. While their names have been withheld for now, authorities confirmed that charges will soon be filed in court.

The source continued:

“While the controversy raged, little did the public know that the DSS had been covertly monitoring and investigating this dangerous web of attacks. The investigations led to the arrest of over 20 persons across the country, with arrests still ongoing.

“The strategy of these hackers involved mounting routers within the vicinity of the targeted CBT centres. The routers would, in turn, override JAMB platforms at the centres, making it easy for the special candidates who paid to get answers to the questions.

Read also: JAMB 2025: Over 370,000 Candidates to Retake Exams Amid Result Glitches — What Really Happened?

“The intrusion of the ghost software by the syndicate distorted the system, making answers provided by candidates during the exam to be at variance with the questions. This eventually led to the recorded mass failure.”

Investigations revealed that special candidates paid between ₦700,000 and ₦2 million to secure high scores through this illegal scheme. Several suspects are said to own private schools and operate so-called “special centres” for exams, earning huge profits from desperate students and parents.

The transition of WAEC and NECO to CBT formats is reportedly seen by these operators as a threat to their fraudulent enterprises.

As of Friday evening, the security source confirmed that no evidence of wrongdoing had been found against the seven JAMB staff members who oversaw service providers at the affected locations.