The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Sunday said it was going to withdraw and sanction students caught with illegal admissions starting for 2021/2022 academic sessions.

The board’s Director of Public Relations, Dr Fabian Benjamin, disclosed this in an interview on Sunday.

UGAMATV had reported that no fewer than 706,189 illegal admissions were uncovered in 114 universities, 137 polytechnics, 80 colleges of education and 37 other institutions.

Benjamin however told our correspondent that the board decided to forgive students with the illegal admissions on the grounds that they were victims.

He said, “We forgave them because we believed they were the victims. We wrote the minister, he accepted that the admissions be regularised and they were forgiven, knowing that it was not their fault.

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“But now, we have adequately informed the public about CAPs, so no one has any excuse. Even if your school gives you admission, make sure that you check your name on CAPs.

“Anyone caught during this 2021/2022 academic session will have his or her admissions withdrawn and such a person will be sanctioned.

“We believe that everyone is now well informed and there will be no such thing as being victims.”

Meanwhile, analysis of a document from the board has revealed that a total of 307,310 illegal admissions were regularised between 2014 and 2016.

According to the document, a total of 282,007 admissions were approved as of July 15, 2015, however the document explained that the number increased to 537,935.

It also stated that for the 2015 academic session, 567,382 admissions were disclosed as of July 22, 2016 but the board said the figure for that year also increased to 574,912.

For the 2016 academic session, while the board noted that 559,485 admissions were initially approved as of September 26, 2021, the figure increased to 603,337.