The committee of inquiry set up by the Anambra State Government has confirmed that Mmesoma Ejikeme manipulated her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result, inflating her score to 362 instead of the actual score of 249.

Mmesoma, a student of Anglican Girls Secondary School in Nnewi, admitted to manipulating the fake result herself using her phone, according to the committee’s eight-page report.

Mmesoma gained widespread attention in Nigeria when she claimed to be the top scorer in the 2023 UTME, which led to her receiving a N3 million scholarship from Innocent Chukwuma, Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing.

However, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) later revealed that Mmesoma had falsified her result and actually scored 249, not 362.

In response to the controversy, Governor Chukwuma Soludo established a committee of inquiry to investigate the matter. The committee, in its report signed by the Anambra State Commissioner of Information, Paul Nwosu, stated that interviews were conducted with relevant parties, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials, and the principal of Anglican Girls Secondary School.

JAMB officials provided details of the processes involved in admissions and the changes in releasing UTME scores since 2021. They revealed that Mmesoma had requested her results multiple times and each time received the correct score of 249.

However, she had sent a separate request with a different registration number, presenting a falsified result of 362. The committee highlighted various red flags, including discrepancies in date of birth, registration number, and the use of an outdated notification of results template.

Mmesoma admitted to manipulating her UTME results in the presence of her principal and the Education Secretary, without any external assistance. She provided no motive for her actions. The principal and Education Secretary expressed shock at the revelation, as Mmesoma had deceived the school, her family, and the state government.

According to the Committee, Mmesoma is expected to tender a written apology to JAMB, the Anglican Girls Secondary, and the Anambra state government.

The committee commended JAMB for their diligent handling of the matter and supplying crucial information. The report aims to correct misconceptions and deceptions surrounding the issue, providing an accurate account of the fraud.

The report read in part, “Recall Mr Governor that with the recent release of scores of candidates who applied for admission by the JAMB and subsequent announcement of Nkechiyere Umeh as the candidate with the highest score of 360, Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, a 19-year-old student of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi, from Enugu State, protested to the state government that she scored 362 and ought to have been so recognised.

“This has elicited interest and generated serious controversy and misgivings among the general public that the state government in its wisdom decided to constitute a committee of inquiry to look into the under-listed terms of reference; review Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB results and associated documents.

“Conduct interviews with relevant parties, including Mmesoma, JAMB officials and any other individual(s) involved in the process. Provide recommendations based on the findings of the investigation.

“The committee invited Mmesoma, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, and officials of JAMB for an interactive session with the Committee.

“JAMB officials led by Dr Fabian Benjamin, the Head of Public Affairs presented the detailed processes and procedures involved in JAMB admissions, the policy changes that have occurred in the release of UTME scores since 2021 and what specifically transpired between the candidate Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with registration number: 20230639047FF in her quest to obtain her JAMB score.

“JAMB revealed the different times that Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma made several requests to the JAMB portal asking for her results at different hours, and each of these times (four in number), she received in her phone, same results from JAMB indicating candidate’s UTME Results to Wit: Eng: 64, Phy:54, Bio: 74, Che: 57 with a total aggregate score of 249.

“JAMB disclosed that the candidate was well informed of her correct score. Mmesoma had sent a request to JAMB with a different registration number showing a UTME result of an aggregate score of 362, with Eng: 98, Phy: 89, Bio: 94, and Che: 81. The results she sent differed substantially from the standard JAMB format where she got an appropriate rebuttal stating her real score of 249.

“A number of red flags were also highlighted by JAMB officials showing a different date of birth, different Registration Number, and Notification of results template that has been discarded since 2021, amongst others.

“It was also evident that even the centre name ‘Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development as it was known before now) used for the examination was also manipulated where the candidate used the old name of the centre (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development) in her own manipulated result sheet.

“In Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s submission, she owned up in the presence of her principal, and the Education Secretary that the narration by the JAMB officials was a true and correct description of what transpired.

“She also admitted to having given a manipulated result by herself unaided, using the same phone Airtel Number.

“According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results she had manipulated.

“The Committee tried to find out the motive behind her action, but Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma said nothing.

“In their own submissions, the Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu, Nnewi, and the Education Secretary — Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) expressed shock at what transpired where in their presence, Mmesoma admitted to have manipulated her UTME results, deceiving the school, her immediate family and the state government.”