A total of 72 computer based test (CBT) centres have been axed by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from taking part in its organised matriculation examination.

Forty-eight of the CBT centres were blacklisted for serious technical deficiency, extortion, organised examination malpractice and other damaging infractions while the remaining 24 were only suspended for a year.

Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of JAMB, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday at the end of an enlarged management meeting of the Board held to review various reports submitted by all stakeholders after the conduct of the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

According to him, the meeting approved the suspension and de-listing of the 72 CBT centres after distilling the reports. He said meeting also approved the cancellation of the results of 1,386 candidates found culpable of examination malpractices and 666 others who engaged in multiple examinations.

Oloyede, who revealed that the board registered 1,722,236 candidates for the 2017 UTME – highest in the history of JAMB – also noted that results of 57,647 candidates were cancelled for “induced malpractice”.

But these candidates, he stressed, would be given an opportunity to attend a rescheduled examination fixed for July 1, 2017.

His words: “The meeting approved the following: the cancellation of results of 1,386 candidates found culpable of examination malpractices and the results of 666 candidates for multiple examinations. The cancellation of results of 57647 candidates in centers induced malpractice.

“And this 57,647, it does not mean that they committed examination malpractice. They would be given the opportunity because there was massive malpractice in the centres where they participated but they were not caught.”