JAMB Lied; Mmesoma Ejikeme Denies Using Software to Inflate UTME Score

Ilesanmi AdekanbiJuly 4, 2023

1 minute read

Mmesoma Ejikeme, a student from Anambra State who scored 362 in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), has refuted the allegation by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that she used some software to inflate her score.

Her father, Romanus Ejikeme, has also defended her, saying she has always been an excellent student from nursery to secondary school.

JAMB had earlier claimed that Ms Ejikeme was among the candidates who used some software to manipulate their UTME scores from lower to higher marks. JAMB said Ms Ejikeme’s original score was 249, not 362 as she claimed.

However, Ms Ejikeme and her father have maintained their innocence and challenged JAMB to prove its allegation. They spoke to journalists on Monday in Onitsha, where they displayed some of Ms Ejikeme’s academic records and awards.

“My daughter has been taking the first position from her nursery school till now. Some of these results are still with me, and I have shown them to some journalists who came to my house, and they were surprised,” Mr Ejikeme said.

He added, “I showed her results to them, and they were like, wow. Those who have met with her will know she can’t manipulate results. I am just explaining to the world that my daughter’s result has been manipulated. I am not happy about it, they gave her result to another person, and they are still intimidating her. What they are doing is not good.”

Ms Ejikeme said she did not use any software to manipulate her score, as claimed by JAMB. She said she used her exam registration number to log into the JAMB portal and printed her result through her phone.

She said since JAMB and the State Security Service work together, they should have completed the investigation before releasing UTME results, insisting she is innocent.

“I did not use any software to manipulate my score. I printed my result with my phone. I don’t know why they are accusing me of something I did not do. They should investigate properly before releasing results. I am innocent,” she said.

Ms Ejikeme appealed to JAMB to release her original result and allow her to pursue her dream of studying medicine at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.