By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has reactivated the portal of Jamiu Basola, a Civil Engineering graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, after he was previously flagged for possessing a fake admission.
THE METRO had reported that Basola, who graduated in 2024 with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.41, said he sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in 2017 and was admitted into FUTA in 2018.
However, an issue surfaced during his final clearance when the school’s Student Affairs Division informed him that his mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps had been rejected.
“I was advised to verify my details on the JAMB matriculation list, which indicated fake admission,” he said.
Basola added that after several failed attempts to access his JAMB portal, he wrote letters to various officials at FUTA, including the registrar, vice-chancellor, and chairman of the admissions committee, urging them to intervene.
In a telephone interview with The Punch correspondent on Monday, Basola exclusively confirmed that his previously locked JAMB portal had been unlocked and his name had now appeared on the matriculation list, a requirement for NYSC mobilisation.
“We are still in the process because I have not been mobilised for NYSC.
“My portal was locked. But now, I am able to log in; I can now reprint.
“Though I had some of the documents before, I was able to reprint my documents again.
“My name was not on the matriculation list, but now it has changed,” Basola said.
This development was also confirmed in a statement issued on Monday by the National Association of Nigerian Students’ National Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa, he described the resolution of the case as a significant victory for justice and student welfare.
“This positive development is a direct result of the decisive intervention by the NANS national leadership, led by the astute President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja,” Ajasa said.
He confirmed that Basola’s JAMB portal has now been restored and his name added to the official matriculation list, following sustained pressure from the national leadership and NANS South-West Zone D.
“Jamiu’s academic dedication was regrettably challenged by a ‘fake admission’ flag after years of diligent study.
“His fight was indeed our fight, and his victory is a triumph for every Nigerian student,” the statement added.
Ajasa also acknowledged the role played by the FUTA Civil Engineering Department in writing to JAMB to clarify Basola’s admission status.
“This resolution underscores the power of collective action and NANS’s unwavering commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of Nigerian students,” he said.
NANS said it would continue to monitor the case to ensure Basola’s inclusion in the next NYSC mobilisation batch.
“We reaffirm our commitment to holding institutions accountable and ensuring that such avoidable predicaments do not recur.
“The lives and academic pursuits of Nigerian students are not bargaining chips,” Ajasa stated.
Recall, Basola’s case gained public attention after he posted on social media, alleging that JAMB had declared his university admission invalid seven years after he began his studies.
In response, JAMB, through its Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin, stated that Basola remained “an unknown entity to the Board concerning admission.”
The Board also claimed that the admission letter in his possession “did not emanate from its system.”
“The narrative of him being an orphan or from a disadvantaged background should not serve as emotional leverage in this matter,” the statement read.
JAMB had called on Basola to disclose how he obtained the document in question, saying the information would help clarify the matter.