The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that only admissions through its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) are valid.

This was disclosed by the board yesterday in a statement by its Head, Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr. Fabian Benjamin in Abuja.

The information revealed that the use of email was no longer required for the registration processes for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE).

According JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, email address of applicants will only be requested at the successful completion of the registration to access information on the examination.

He said as from Thursday, April 15, candidates will no longer be required to provide any email address during registration, adding that consequently, candidates will have the options to access their profile during or after registration.

Warning universities against issuing illegal admission letters, JAMB also advised candidates not to accept admissions not processed through CAPS.

“The attention of the Board has been drawn to illegitimate admissions purported being conducted by some universities, including the University of Abuja.

“These universities have been reported to be issuing admission letters to candidates without recourse to the board.

“It is, therefore, pertinent to state that such admissions that have not been processed, approved and accepted on the CAPS are null and void.

“As such, asking hapless candidates to pay acceptance fees for such admissions that have not been processed through CAPS amounts to illegality. Consequently, such admissions are illegal, therefore, remain null and void.”

Oloyede yesterday narrated how the board lost more than N10 million in 2020 to fraudsters.

Oloyede told reporters at the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja yesterday that the fraudsters penetrated the board’s payment portal for ad-hoc staff.

He said the money, which was meant to pay JAMB Ad-hoc staff from the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, was hijacked by the suspected fraudsters.

The registrar said the board investigated the illegality, tracked and finally apprehended 10 of the suspects in Kaduna, Nasarawa and Abuja.

“One of them, Saidu Zubairu collected over N3.7 million for himself because he inserted the account details of his mother, sisters, and other family members.

“We have not calculated all the monies they all have so far received but altogether, the amount will definitely sum up to more than N10 million.

“We have already paid the original owners, though it took us over a year to track the suspects, we finally apprehended them and I assure you the law will take its cause.’’

Zubairu, one of the 10 apprehended suspects said he got the code for the site through his friend (presently at large) and indulged others.