The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has denied any record of admission for Basola Jamiu Owodunni, a graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), stating that the board neither processed nor approved his admission into the institution.
This clarification followed a circulating video in which Basola claimed he was wrongly labelled by JAMB as having fake admission, despite graduating from FUTA with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.41 in Civil Engineering.
Speaking through its Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement released on Sunday, JAMB described Basola’s case as an example of an illegal admission, stressing that the Board never recognised his studentship as legitimate.
“The Board does not have the authority to propose or recommend candidates for admission; it only approves those duly recommended by tertiary institutions through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS),” Benjamin said.
According to him, “In the case of Basola Jamiu Owodunni, the Board maintains that he remains an unknown entity within our admission records. While there may be no dispute regarding his physical presence at FUTA, the fact remains that he was never processed for admission through JAMB’s platform.”
Basola, in his earlier video, claimed he sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2017 and was admitted into FUTA in 2018.
He said his ordeal began after final clearance when he was informed by the university’s student affairs office that his mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had been rejected due to irregular admission records.
“I was advised to check the JAMB matriculation list, which showed that my admission was fake,” Basola said.
He alleged that upon visiting the JAMB office for clarification, he was threatened with arrest and told he ought to be handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further questioning.
“I was detained for hours by both the DSS and the police before I was released through the help of a friend,” he said.
Basola also said that a representative from FUTA’s admission office reportedly presented documents to the police, claiming his admission was properly recommended by the university.
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Reacting to the claims, JAMB insisted that emotions have no place in the enforcement of regulations.
The Board further urged the public to resist drawing conclusions based on sentiments.
“The narrative of being an orphan or coming from a disadvantaged background cannot serve as emotional leverage in this matter. The fight against backdoor admissions transcends class or circumstance,”Benjamin stated.
The Board also raised concerns over a suspicious document reportedly in Basola’s possession, which did not originate from JAMB’s database.
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“It is crucial that Mr. Basola discloses how he came about such a document. That information would help shed more light on the entire situation,” the statement added.
JAMB reiterated that since the introduction of CAPS in 2017, all admissions must be processed through the platform, warning students against accepting admissions that are not captured by the system.
“This is a reminder that candidates should only accept admissions that are processed and verifiable on CAPS. Any deviation is not only unlawful but also exposes candidates to future complications,” Benjamin stated further.
He concluded that JAMB remains committed to ensuring fairness in the admission process, and would not hesitate to support Basola if he is found to have complied with existing laws.
“In our collective quest for justice and compassion, it is essential that we do not become complicit in wrongdoing. Let the experience of others be a lesson to those who seek shortcuts,” the statement said.
Basola had also claimed to have written several letters to university officials, including the registrar and vice-chancellor of FUTA, but as of the time of his video, he said no concrete solution had been provided.
Meanwhile, JAMB advised the public and critics to verify their facts before making accusations, noting that defamatory statements against the Board and its officials will not be taken lightly.
