Mmesoma contests JAMB's 3-year ban, claims unfair treatment

Mmesoma Ejikeme, the focal point of an allegation regarding forged UTME results, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) imposing a three-year ban on her, stating that it is "unjust."

The 19-year-old asserts that her "results notification" slip, obtained from the JAMB results portal, displays a score of 362 out of 400 for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

However, the board contends that she is presenting a falsified result on a template that has been discontinued since 2021. Her official score stands at 249.

JAMB reaffirmed on Tuesday, July 04, 2023, that her result is "blatantly counterfeit," clarifying that they have retracted her result and consequently barred her from taking the examination for the next three years.

Mmesoma, accompanied by her father, Romanus, appeared on the Wednesday, July 05, 2023, edition of Channels Television's Sunrise Daily, insisting that she should not be held responsible for the controversy.

"It is not my fault that I printed my result in that manner, and they accuse me of forging it. It is not my fault. Therefore, their decision to impose a ban is unjust," she expressed.

During her appearance on the show on Tuesday JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin revealed that their records indicated the candidate had sent a series of messages to the board's automated telecommunications system, including the results indicating an aggregate score of 362.

In response, Mmesoma stated that the only text message she sent to JAMB was through its support system, stating, "That is the only text message I sent to them."

When asked if she received any response, she replied, "They did not reply. If they check their JAMB Support System, they would see that I sent a text message. They did not reply."

Regarding the claim that she utilised an Airtel line, Mmesoma confirmed this but clarified that it was not done through a USSD code.

"The one I checked via the USSD code was the one showing 360 (sic)," she further explained.

In response to the assertion that the feedback from JAMB indicated her score as 249, she concurred.

"Yes," she affirmed. "After everything, I discovered that I obtained 249. I sent them a text message through the JAMB Support System to inquire about what really transpired. If they access their system, they will find it there."