The Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has pronounced a verdict of guilt against an undergraduate of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, for charges related to impersonation and examination malpractice during the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Presiding Judge, Justice T Adegoke, delivered the judgment on 5th March, finding the defendant, Adesuyi Feranmi, guilty on two counts of conspiracy and examination impersonation.
Justice Adegoke sentenced the defendant to one year imprisonment for each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. Additionally, the court offered an alternative option of a fine of N100,000.00 for each count, totaling N200,000.00.
Adesuyi, aged 29, was apprehended on April 28th, 2023, at Amable Nig Ltd CBT center in Owo during the 2023 UTME, where he was impersonating another individual, Sanusi Tunde, during the biometric verification process.
The charges against Adesuyi were framed under the Examination Malpractice Act, Cap E15, LFN 2004, and were punishable under section 3(2)(c) of the same Act.
This recent conviction underscores the ongoing efforts to combat examination malpractice in Nigeria. It follows another case last month in which a computer-based test (CBT) centre owner in Abuja was similarly sentenced for infractions related to examination misconduct.