The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is currently facing explosive allegations of tribal discrimination after its controversial handling of 2025 UTME top scorer Chinedu Okeke’s case.
Education activists and tech experts are calling out what appears to be a systematic targeting of the Igbo medical student, with evidence suggesting JAMB manufactured false fraud claims to justify withholding his stellar 375 score – the highest in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
How It All Began
Okeke’s nightmare began when JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede publicly questioned his results during the 2025 policy meeting, despite the Anambra native having legitimately corrected NIN-related data errors through official channels in 2021.
Education technology CEO Alex Onyia exposed how JAMB’s own system glitches during the 2025 UTME forced Okeke to reprint his slip and retake the exam – where he remarkably scored 375. Rather than celebrate this academic excellence, JAMB launched what critics describe as a vendetta, weaponizing bureaucratic technicalities to discredit an Igbo achiever.
The Tribal Undertones Behind JAMB’s Dubious Claims
JAMB’s contradictory statements reveal troubling patterns: First claiming Okeke isn’t Igbo (despite his Anambra roots), then alleging he “switched states” to exploit quotas – accusations demolished by verified NIN records. The board’s desperate attempts to link him to Lagos reek of the same ethnic profiling that saw 2023 top scorer Mmesoma Ejikeme falsely accused before public outrage forced JAMB’s humiliating retreat. This recurring pattern suggests institutional bias against Igbo candidates breaking academic barriers.
Observers have highlighted the disturbing parallels between Okeke’s ordeal and previous cases where JAMB targeted high-achieving Igbo students, as seen in the 2023 Mmesoma scandal where JAMB falsely accused another Anambra student of result forgery before backtracking.
Prior to that ugly incident, there was the 2021 Nwosu case where admission was denied over “suspicious” scores later proven legitimate.
JAMB’s unsubstantiated claim that Okeke “stole” slots contradicts its own data showing Igbo states consistently produce top performers.
While JAMB claims its National Identification Number (NIN) verification is foolproof, tech audits reveal systemic flaws in its data synchronization with NIMC – errors disproportionately affecting southeastern candidates.
Onyia’s Educare research shows 73% of 2025 UTME irregularities involved Igbo students, yet JAMB only pursued high-profile cases like Okeke’s. This selective enforcement fuels suspicions of agenda-driven profiling rather than genuine quality control.
The Human Cost of JAMB’s Character Assassination
Beyond the bureaucratic warfare lies a brilliant 400-level UNN medical student whose reputation is being shredded to cover institutional failures. Okeke’s family reports receiving threatening calls since JAMB’s statements, while his UNN colleagues describe a once-vibrant scholar now traumatized by the public lynching. Medical associations warn this harassment could rob Nigeria of a future neurosurgeon – all because he dared to excel while Igbo.
Why It Matters
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has demanded an independent probe into JAMB’s handling of southeastern candidates, while civil society groups are petitioning the National Assembly to investigate the board’s alleged ethnic bias.
As the pressure mounts, education stakeholders are insistent that JAMB must first and foremost, publicly apologize to Okeke, release his original 375 score, disclose all communication with UNN about his status, and implement transparent grievance mechanisms.
