The Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Services in Abuja are presently holding at least 20 persons for allegedly hacking the servers that were used to administer the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board's 2025 Computer-Based Test exams.  

The suspects are thought to be members of a wider syndicate that consists of more than 100 people who specialise in breaking into the computer servers of important testing organisations, such as the National Examinations Council and JAMB.  

According to security sources, the suspects have admitted to purposefully undermining the CBT systems in an effort to undermine JAMB and deter future computer-based tests for WAEC and NECO.

One of the sources claimed that the suspects acknowledged that the syndicate remotely infiltrated and controlled JAMB servers at specific CBT centres using specially created attacking software. 

The source added that the software was secretly installed on routers near the centres in order to circumvent JAMB's secure 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.

Source