Gladness Gideon
Okeke Chinedu, a candidate from Anambra State, has emerged as the highest scorer in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), achieving an impressive 375. However, his result has come under scrutiny following revelations from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) regarding his academic history.
At the 2025 JAMB Policy Meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that discrepancies were discovered in Okeke’s records. According to the registrar, data from the board showed that Okeke, who applied to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Lagos, had in fact been admitted to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) into the Department of Medicine four years ago.
JAMB said it wrote to UNN for clarification, and the university confirmed that Okeke was indeed a current medical student in good academic standing. However, there was no official documentation indicating a withdrawal or transfer from the program.
In response, JAMB has taken further steps by notifying the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to ensure that Okeke is not allowed to practice medicine without proper verification and compliance with academic and professional requirements.
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Meanwhile, other top performers in the 2025 UTME were also acknowledged, including Ayuba Simon-Peter with 374; Jimoh Abdulmalik, Roberts Damiete, Ononugbo Chigozirim, Olawepo Gertrude, Afinotan Leslie, Azoyenime Samuel, and Oyebode Oluwapelumi, all with scores of 373.
In a related development, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, reiterated that the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria remains 16 years. The policy, he said, is aimed at ensuring students possess the required maturity for higher education.
The case of Okeke Chinedu continues to raise questions about academic integrity and proper documentation in Nigeria’s higher education admission processes.