The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has dismissed calls for refunds from candidates who incurred charges while attempting to check their 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results, insisting that no official release had been announced at the time.
The board’s spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, said on Sunday that candidates who made multiple attempts to access their results did so prematurely, stressing that the examination body could not be held responsible for such actions.
Benjamin’s clarification followed widespread complaints by candidates who said they were charged repeatedly while trying to check their results after an earlier assurance that the results would be released before midnight on Saturday.
He had initially disclosed via his X (formerly Twitter) handle that the results of the examination conducted on Friday, April 17, would be made public before midnight.
However, the board failed to meet the deadline, prompting frustration among candidates nationwide.
In a follow-up statement, the JAMB spokesman apologised for the delay, attributing it to the unavailability of the Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, who he said was attending an official engagement in Lagos.
“Our Chief Executive was unavailable due to an important engagement but would be in the office today. We assure you that the results will be released later today, surely before nightfall,” Benjamin said.
He added, “We also extend our heartfelt apologies to those who stayed up waiting for the release. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Despite the apology, some candidates expressed anger over the repeated deductions incurred while attempting to check their results, fuelling calls for refunds.
But Benjamin dismissed the demands, maintaining that the board had not directed candidates to check results at the time.
“Why would you say they deduct money for something that has not been released? When we release results, we will tell Nigerians. So what refunds are you talking about?” he queried.
He further emphasised that the release of UTME results is a sensitive process that cannot be delegated, noting that the registrar had since returned to Abuja and that the results would be released shortly.
As of Sunday evening, the board reiterated that the results would be made available within hours, urging candidates to remain patient.
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