WAEC Nabs Principals, Teachers, Supervisors for WASSCE Malpractice

A report on the arrests made by WAEC in its ongoing examination for school candidates across Nigeria.

Patrick OdeyJune 9, 2023

2 minutes read

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has arrested and handed over 20 officials to the police for their involvement in examination malpractice during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

The Head of National Office (HNO) of WAEC, Mr Patrick Areghan, revealed this on Thursday while monitoring some schools in Lagos. He said the arrests were made in different parts of the country, including Ibadan, Maiduguri, Umuahia, Abeokuta, Osogbo and Kaduna.

According to him, the officials were caught snapping and posting the examination questions to various platforms, thereby aiding and abetting cheating among candidates. He said some of the culprits were supervisors, principals, invigilators and teachers.

Areghan condemned the act as a monumental disgrace and vowed that the council would do everything possible to ensure that their prosecution was followed to a logical conclusion.

He said:

The issue of examination malpractice can no longer be treated with kid gloves. It is no longer business as usual, as it has completely eroded morals and values in our society. It is taking a dangerous dimension, which, if not tackled, will bring our country to its knees.

He added:

Now, since the commencement of this examination, we have deployed our technology, designed to catch examination cheats, and we are happy with the results we have gotten so far.

Areghan also debunked the claim that WAEC examination questions always leak. He said:

I want to counter this statement that some people are fond of making, which is that our examination questions always leak. That does not exist. Our examination is always safe and secured until they get to the candidates in the hall.

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He explained that the question papers were given to the supervisors one hour before the examination so that they could travel from the collection point to the various schools. He said:

What happens? Immediately they get to the exam hall, they will open the pack in the name of distributing to candidates and they will snap and post to various designated platforms.

He urged candidates not to allow their future to be compromised by persons who did not wish them well by promising to assist them pass their examination through illegal means. He stressed that WAEC’s examinations could never be accessed illegally.

He said:

All of the culprits caught in the act may have been paid by the unsuspecting candidates and their parents, promising to assist them pass the examination.

He advised candidates to study hard and prepare well for the examination, as there was no shortcut to success. He said:

The only way you can pass WAEC examination is by reading your books and being confident in yourself. Don’t let anybody deceive you that they can help you. They cannot help you. They will only collect your money and ruin your future.