This is the first time I'll be doing this, Mmesoma tenders apology to JAMB

Ejikeme Mmesoma, a 19-year-old student from Anambra State, has written to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), asking for leniency from the Board for manipulating her 2023 Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) result.

Mmesoma presented her letter of apology before the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on alleged manipulation of UTME result in Abuja on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mmesoma had claimed to score 362 as against her actual score of 249 in the 2023 UTME JAMB portal.

Mmesoma admitted that what she did was wrong, adding that it was the reason she came to present her letter of apology.

According to her, "I humbly seek your forgiveness for the mistake I made, I sincerely agree that I got the JAMB result from another portal. In the course of this, I lambasted JAMB, I apologise."

She said, "Ignorance played a significant role in my action, words cannot describe the depth of pain in my heart. This is the first time I will be doing this, I have never engaged in falsification or any misdemeanor."

She said it was not in her character to manipulate results and bring public institutions to ridicule, adding that she had embraced genuine repentance.

Mmesoma said she would willingly accept the recommendation of the ad-hoc committee, adding that she had accepted to rectify her mistake and become a better person.

In her words, "I want you to temper justice with mercy."

Prof Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar, JAMB, said Mmesoma manipulated her result, aided by the centre where she wrote the exam, adding that the centre had been banned for aiding and abetting fraud.

He said eight centres in Anambra State are currently under investigation over Mmesoma’s case, adding that contrary to insinuations, there was no loophole in JAMB.

He called on the public to be careful in making unfounded statements and have confidence in public institutions, while commending JAMB in its processes and procedure.

According to him, JAMB has introduced innovation that will help to reduce human interference in its operational processes, thereby building confidence in the public.

He said, "Mmesoma's case was an amateur, there was one falsification by a candidate that I almost went mad."

Rep. Sada Soli, the chairman of the committee, urged Mmesoma to restitute her ways and not allow such misconduct again.

"You are one of the high scorers, don't ever think of doing bad things to achieve anything ever again," he said.