The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended a man identified as Eric Nwombu for alleged criminal impersonation and unlawful possession of examination materials linked to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
In a statement issued on Saturday, the command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the arrest was carried out by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’s Safe School Initiative.
According to the police, the suspect was picked up following reports of suspicious activity at a cyber café in Atani, where students had gathered to check their examination centres. He was alleged to have been collecting 2026 JAMB examination slips from candidates.
Items recovered from him include eight JAMB examination slips and an exercise book containing names and examination numbers of students—materials he reportedly failed to account for satisfactorily.
The statement read, “Operatives of the IGP’s Safe School Initiative of the Anambra State Police Command, in the morning of Saturday, arrested one male suspect, Eric Nwombu, for alleged criminal impersonation and unlawful possession of JAMB examination materials.
“Items recovered include eight JAMB examination slips and an exercise book containing names and examination numbers of students, which he could not satisfactorily account for.
“The arrest followed a report of how the suspect was collecting 2026 JAMB examination slips from students who had come to check their examination centres in a cyber cafe in Atani.
“Upon inquiry, the suspect allegedly claimed to be a JAMB 2026 coordinator in Atani. The staff of the computer centre, dissatisfied with his response and suspicious of his actions, alerted the police operatives in the area.
“On sighting the operatives approaching, the suspect attempted to flee but was apprehended.”
Ikenga added that preliminary investigations are already underway and that the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for further, more detailed inquiry.
He also conveyed the position of the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, who reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting the credibility of public examinations.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, reiterates the Command’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of public examinations and urges members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the Police,” the statement concluded.
