A young Nigerian who attempted to fraudulently secure a place in the University by sitting the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination in another candidate's name has been handed a three year prison sentence, in a case that lays bare the lengths to which some will go to circumvent the country's University admissions system.

Justice Hussaini Dadan Garba of the Federal High Court in Katsina delivered the judgment on Thursday, convicting Ibrahim Abdulaziz and sentencing him to three years' imprisonment without the option of a fine. The judge was explicit that the sentence was designed to deter others from similar conduct.

The prosecution, led by Mr. A.D. Saleh, Officer in Charge of Legal at the Katsina Police Command, told the court that Abdulaziz committed the offence on 30 April 2025 at Zee Alpha Academy in Funtua, Katsina State, where he unlawfully and fraudulently presented himself as UTME candidate Bolanwu Emmanuel. The charges were brought under sections 3(1)(a) and (b), and 3(2)(c) of the Examinations Malpractice Act, Cap E15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The prosecution presented three witnesses and tendered the examination slip as evidence. Defence counsel M.T. Steve objected to the admissibility of the slip, but Justice Dadan Garba overruled the objection and admitted it as an exhibit. Abdulaziz denied any association with the first defendant and claimed to have been a legitimate candidate himself, but could not substantiate the claim before the court. The first defendant, Bolanwu Emmanuel, was discharged and acquitted.

For thousands of students preparing to sit this year's UTME, the Katsina judgment is a sobering reminder that examination fraud is not a shortcut but a gamble with consequences that can follow a young person for the rest of their life.