The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has disclosed that no fewer than 15,000 candidates were discovered to have forged admission letters to qualify for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

Oloyede made the revelation at the 2025 Batch ‘C’ Pre-Mobilisation Workshop held in Abuja. He said the discovery was made after a thorough internal audit and verification exercise conducted across tertiary institutions nationwide.

According to him, the large-scale forgery led to the arrest and prosecution of several individuals, including some university officials and JAMB staff.

He said:

“One day, I ran to your predecessor because I couldn’t believe that 15,000 candidates forged admission letters. As I speak with you, some deputy registrars are being tried by the ICPC. No fewer than 17 deputy vice-chancellors and four JAMB staff are in prison custody. We handed them over to the ICPC.”

The JAMB boss urged prospective corps members to strictly adhere to due process and avoid acts capable of jeopardising their future.

“Those who wish to go to jail should do so knowingly, not by accident,” he cautioned. “Follow the rules and you will have fewer problems. Most of the challenges are self-inflicted and can be avoided through honesty and compliance.”

Also speaking, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Olakunle Nafiu, expressed concern over the increasing rate of forged credentials, multiple registrations and identity theft among individuals seeking to infiltrate the mobilisation process.

He warned that such fraudulent practices threaten the integrity and credibility of the NYSC scheme, which was established to promote national unity and service.

“The mobilisation process was designed to uphold national values and ensure that only qualified graduates participate in the one-year mandatory service. We must all work together to protect it from abuse,” he said.

Nafiu called on tertiary institutions, regulatory agencies and security bodies to strengthen their verification systems and collaborate with the NYSC to preserve the integrity of the scheme.

He noted that despite the transition to digital operations, the NYSC still faces threats from unapproved study centres and so-called “degree mills” operating through questionable affiliations.

“We are committed to maintaining the credibility that the NYSC enjoys today. However, we must continue to close the gaps that allow these fraudulent elements to thrive,” he added.

The workshop, attended by representatives of tertiary institutions, security agencies and relevant government bodies, focused on strengthening inter-agency cooperation and leveraging technology to enhance the transparency of the NYSC mobilisation process.