Security operatives in Plateau caught a candidate with a fake registration slip during Saturday’s University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) exercise.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise, which was conducted amidst tight security, went on peacefully in virtually all the centres within the Jos-Bukuru metropolis until the discovery.
The candidate, Vincent Bello, claimed he was issued the fake registration slip number 338 by a café in Bukuru, where he purportedly registered on Jan. 9, 2012.
He had been placed at centre I in the Plateau Polytechnic centre to write the test.
NAN reports that Bello’s centre number corresponded with another candidate, Kefas Dakogol, with registration slip number 383.
Bello, who was arrested and handed over to men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSDC), kept accusing the café of destroying him.
He told NAN that he never suspected any foul play by the café until he entered the examination hall.
“I didn’t know that the registration slip the café gave to me was fake. It is like they only pasted my passport photograph on the slip issued to me.”
The security operatives, however, whisked Bello away and insisted he must show them the said café.
Contacted, the UTME Monitor for Jos South Local Government and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, University of Jos, Prof. Musa Ibrahim, described the situation as “unfortunate“ and “a unique case”.
Ibrahim said that the incident was an “isolated case” and expressed happiness at the way and manner the invigilator and the security operatives handled the matter.
“This is a lesson to all prospective UTME candidates. They should always ensure that they are properly guided by the provisions of JAMB on how to register and write the test.
“Candidates should ensure they used approved registration points so as to avoid such? ugly situations, “ Ibrahim counseled.
Ibrahim, who expressed happiness over the peaceful conduct and orderliness of the exercise, however, lamented the few hitches from the single bi-metric machine used for the screening of the candidates.
“We need at least two to three bi-metric machines at each of the 13 centres in Jos South Local Government Area to enable us check-in the candidates without any delay.”
Also speaking, Mrs. Victoria Ochia, a Supervisor at Obasanjo Model School centre, said the screening of the candidates with one bi-metre machine slowed down the exercise and called for provision of more in subsequent exercises.