Data Breach: JAMB Arrests Staff For WhatsApping Teen Test-Taker Through A Number On The Form, Not Knowing It’s The Mother

The manager of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Computer-Based Test (JAMB CBT) has been arrested and detained for allegedly participating in an online discussion with a 15-year-old candidate while utilizing information obtained during her exam registration.

The situation was exposed when the candidate’s mother, who had registered her daughter using her phone number, received inappropriate messages on her device shortly after the registration procedure

A social media post by the candidate’s mother accused JAMB of incompetence and a lack of data protection, sparking an investigation.

According to the mother’s statement, the CBT manager got the phone number from the registration form and started a text discussion, presuming he was conversing directly with the candidate.

Despite being informed of the teenager’s age, the manager persisted in communicating and requested that the communication be kept anonymous.

JAMB then launched an internal investigation and coordinated with law enforcement authorities, resulting in the arrest of the accused staff member and an alleged collaborator within hours.

Speaking to newsmen after the arrest, JAMB’s ICT consultant, Damilola Bamiro, on Thursday said, “Today, based on the social media report that has gone round where a mother complained that her 15-year-old daughter was being approached by a staff of one of our CBT centers, and immediately we got that information, we swung into action.

“We identified the center and since our system identifies who has registered a candidate, we were able to apprehend both the person that registered the candidate and the person that approached the minor.

“We have them in custody already, just to assure Nigerians that JAMB will always swing into action whenever any case against any candidate is reported.”