The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has reportedly launched an investigation into an alleged data breach at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Sources close to the matter revealed that the probe was triggered by concerns that hackers may have compromised the confidentiality and integrity of candidates’ personal information.
JAMB had earlier acknowledged a technical glitch on its platform that impacted 379,997 candidates across 157 examination centres in Lagos and the South-East.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of at least 20 individuals, now in the custody of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police Force.
These suspects are believed to be part of a larger network of over 100 cybercriminals targeting major examination bodies like JAMB.
Another insider noted that many of the affected centres likely failed to implement adequate technical and organizational safeguards to protect candidate data.
While the breach impacted hundreds of thousands, NDPC’s ongoing investigation reportedly includes a broader audit of JAMB’s data handling practices and its third-party partners.
