The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has handed more candidates over to the police for prosecution over alleged involvement in various examination malpractices. Last week, JAMB released the names of 149 candidates with Imo, Anambra and Enugu states topping the list with 26, 12 and 12 candidates respectively.

Meanwhile, the number of suspects has risen to 195 with Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Kano and Kaduna states leading with 28, 16, 15, 15 and 15 cases respectively.

The offenses listed against the candidates included; examination by proxy, attempt to cheat, forceful entrance, tampering with examination documents, smuggling of mobile phones into the examination halls among others.

Other states on the list of malpractices included; Abia, Adamawa, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun.

The JAMB Head of Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said in an interview with our correspondent that the arrested candidates were with the police and arraignment had started.

He said, “They (the candidates) are with the police. So the police will prosecute them. We don’t have prosecuting powers. When the police start prosecution, they certainly get across to us. Most of them have even been arraigned. When the arraignment is concluded, we will give you a comprehensive report. When we get to a stage that is important for everyone to know, we will let you know. But some of them have already been arraigned by the police.”

“As part of its tradition, the board would not hesitate to withdraw the results of candidates found to have perpetrated any form of examination malpractice,” JAMB said.