The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that it has detected no fewer than 15,000 forged admission letters submitted by individuals seeking to qualify for enlistment into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the 2025 Batch C Pre-Mobilisation Workshop organised by the NYSC.
He stated that the large-scale fraud was uncovered following extensive internal audit and cross-verification of academic records with tertiary institutions nationwide.
Expressing concern over the rising trend, Oloyede said several university officials were implicated in the forgery syndicates.
“Some Deputy-Registrars are being tried by ICPC. Some Deputy Vice-Chancellors, not less than 17, including four JAMB staff, are in prison custody. We took them to the ICPC,” he stated.
The Registrar urged prospective corps members and institutional administrators to remain compliant with set standards.
“Those who want to go to jail should do so knowingly, not by accident. Follow the rules and you will have less problems,” he cautioned.
*NYSC raises the alarm over infiltration attempts
Speaking at the event, the Director-General, NYSC, Brig-Gen Olakunle Nafiu, warned that increasing cases of forged credentials, multiple registrations and identity theft threaten the integrity of the mobilisation system designed to uphold national values.
He noted that mobilisation remains central to NYSC’s mandate.
“Mobilising eligible Nigerian graduates for national service is the gateway to the service year,” he said. “This key aspect of our operations cannot be allowed to suffer disrepute,” he said.
Nafiu said the scheme had recorded significant improvements since adopting the NYSC Integrated System (NIS) in 2014, but cyber threats and activities of unapproved study centres still pose major risks.
He added that the NYSC would continue to apply sanctions where unethical practices are detected.
Director of Corps Mobilisation, Mrs. Rachel Idaewor, urged institutions to strengthen data validation to prevent unqualified individuals from entering the national service programme.
