Police Nab School Teachers Indulge In Exams Malpractice

 

By Lazarus Zakaa, Abuja.

The Nigerian Police has about 17 secondary school teachers including a principal arrested recently for allegedly aiding and abating malpractices in West African Examinations Council, WAEC,in Four states in Nigeria were, Friday ,paraded by the police in Abuja.

The suspects, who were paraded before newsmen at the Force Headqarters, Abuja, by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, however, feigned ignorant of their offence, as according them, they snapped questions of examinations already answered with their phones, saying they didn’t know such act constituted an offence.

Mbah, explained that In line with president mohammadu Buhari fight against corruption and another kind of vises in the country one of the foremost examination body in the country and west Africa in general has begun a massive collaboration and partnership with the police designed to strengthened its integrity of its examination processes.

He also explained that In line with that spirit of partnership they intended stamped out all kind of examination malpractice in the country.

According to him, WAEC officials and leadership worked very hard with Nigerian police force during the last august/September examination that was conducted across the country to fish out all persons perpetrating or aiding the these acts within the country

“It is inline with these partnership and approach that we are presenting to you a total of 17 suspects that were arrested in different part of the country including Bauchi, Kano, Nasarawa and Rivers state

“Surprisingly or rather paradoxically, majority of these suspects aiding malpractice happen to be persons who are employed, trained and paid to promote the educational system, I am talking of teachers either as teachers in secondary schools or principals. One of them is a teacher in the primary school are the ones that work as invigilators or as host teachers where this exams are taking conducted”.

“We want to issue out warnings to member of the public, parents, teacher and guardians and even the candidates who are preparing to seat for the subsequent examinations, that the police have been able to walk with WAEC to develop very robust intervention approaches, very robust technology that will enable us to dictate, trace and find anyone who is involved in any form of cheating or fraud in WAC exams.

“We therefore wish to advice teachers, patents and the candidates that the possible ways of success is to seat back and prepared for the exam rather than expect cheap ways”. He said.

He said “as I talk to you some suspects have been change in Enugu and delta and Lagos inclusive and this ones will equally be prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the land.

Representative of WAEC, Omolide Hassan, thanked the police force for the collaboration they have received.

she explained that indeed a lot of people during the exam were talking of leakage, where there was no leakage.

He stated that it was a situation where those they trusted with question papers, those who were nominated by the ministry of education in various States are the ones perpetrating the act.

She explained that after they may have released examination question papers by 9:30am, would stop, take pictures and post on WhatsApp and Internet.

“So they are the ones trying to scuttle our efforts but by the help of devices within the council that can dictate”. She said.

She narrated that, Immediately the Bauchi one happened, before the suspects could leave the exam hall somebody was already there, because they were checking and monitoring from Lagos and were able to dictate these people.

Some of the suspects, Amisu Sena Abdulahi said “he is teacher with GSS, Ganden Albasa from Kano. I was selected to supervise the 2020 WAEC examination and after collecting the bag in my position, i open the bag and saw an envelop that contain examination question paper of another school, i now photocopy and give to Maharazi Sabo.

Another who gave his name as Belove, a principal of Excel school in Rivers said that a young man brought some already answers to hi schools and “i did not have an Android phone so i collected the phone from a colleague in the office and they young man transfered the answered to my phone and the young man went to other schools and in the process he was intercepted by the WAEC and taking to the police and they saw the trace of what he sent to my phone and that was how I was arrested”. He explained.

He said he regretted his actions as a principal involved I such I’ll act.

Another suspect who gave his name as Musa said he is a staff with the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Nasarawa state.

A supervisor of the 2020 WAEC said in the course of supervision someone send a message to his WhatsApp and having saw the message he decided to forward it to some colleague.

According to Mbah, all the suspects will be charged in a court of competent jurisdiction.