The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force currently have 20 individuals in prison in Abuja for allegedly hacking the servers used to administer the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) 2025 Computer-Based Test tests.
The suspects are thought to be part of a wider gang of over 100 people who specialise in hacking the computer servers of key examination bodies such as JAMB and the National Examinations Council.
According to security sources, the suspects confessed to purposefully disrupting the CBT systems in order to discredit JAMB and prevent future usage of computer-based examinations for WAEC and NECO.
According to one of the source, the suspects admitted that the syndicate utilised specially crafted attacking software to remotely penetrate and alter JAMB servers at specific CBT centres.
According to the source, the software was secretly put on routers near these locations to bypass JAMB’s protected platforms.
“The strategy of these hackers involved mounting routers near targeted CBT centres. These routers allowed remote access to JAMB systems, enabling ‘special candidates’ who had paid hefty sums to receive answers during the exam.
“The ghost software distorted exam data, resulting in discrepancies between the questions answered by candidates and the actual questions displayed on screen — a development blamed for the widespread failure recorded in the 2025 exams.
“Candidates who benefitted from the illegal scheme reportedly paid between ₦700,000 and ₦2 million for high scores. Investigations have also revealed that several members of the syndicate are proprietors of private schools and tutorial centres who use the proceeds to fund their so-called “special centres”, the source explained.
The suspects were apprehended in coordinated operations across Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Kano, and Delta states. Their identities are being withheld until their court appearance.
No evidence of complicity has been found against the seven JAMB officials who supervised service providers at the affected CBT centres, according to another source.
“No case of complicity had been established against the seven JAMB staff who supervised the service providers at the two locations,” the source said.
