The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has refuted reports claiming that students currently enrolled in universities are prohibited from participating in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry registration.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the board's spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB described the circulating claims as a misrepresentation of its registration guidelines by individuals seeking social media attention and engagement.

According to Dr Benjamin, the board's 2026 UTME/DE advertisement contains clear instructions requiring candidates to disclose their matriculation status during registration, which aligns with JAMB's statutory responsibility to prevent multiple admissions in the Nigerian university system.

The spokesperson clarified that candidates already studying in tertiary institutions are not barred from registering for UTME or Direct Entry examinations. However, he emphasized that concealing an existing matriculation status while registering violates admission regulations.

Dr Benjamin explained that when candidates disclose their matriculation status and subsequently gain admission through a new registration, their previous admission automatically becomes invalid. He stressed that Nigerian admission laws prohibit candidates from holding two concurrent admissions in tertiary institutions.

The board noted that making disclosure mandatory has proven effective in addressing the problem of matriculated students who participate in examination fraud as professional test takers. Dr Benjamin warned that candidates who conceal their matriculation status face the risk of losing both admissions once JAMB's detection system identifies the violation.

JAMB disclosed that investigations have uncovered widespread involvement of matriculated students in examination malpractice, particularly as hired test takers during UTME exercises. The board stated that requiring matriculation status declaration enables swift action against culprits when apprehended.

"Recent findings indicate that many matriculated students are engaged as professional examination takers. Mandatory disclosure, therefore, expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended," Dr Benjamin stated.

The examination body urged candidates and members of the public to disregard what it termed deliberate distortions of its 2026 UTME/DE registration guidelines and to rely on official information from authorized JAMB channels.