The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reiterated that only admission through its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) was valid and not otherwise.

The board made this known in a statement by its Head, Public Affairs and Protocol, Dr Fabian Benjamin, on Wednesday in Abuja.

While 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.

“They are unacceptable and offensive to extant rules and regulations guiding admissions to tertiary institutions in Nigeria as approved by the Federal Ministry of Education and provided on CAPS,” the board said.

The board recalled that it instituted CAPS in 2017 as an automated platform, designed to ensure that admissions were transparently done to protect the interest of all Nigerians desirous of tertiary education.

“JAMB, therefore, advised candidates to be alert and refuse to accept any admissions not processed, approved and accepted on CAPS.

“By implication, any candidate who has not accepted and printed his or her admissions letter on CAPS should not pay any acceptance fee.

“It should be noted that admission guidelines stipulate that institutions recommend qualified candidates through CAPS in accordance with laid-down criteria to the board for approval.

“As such, any such admission not approved by the board is an exercise in futility.

It stated any institution violating this well-intentioned guideline had much to hide and the board would not shy away from its responsibility of ensuring compliance to laid-down admission guidelines.

“The Board will not relent in its efforts to ensure that no institution violates the extant admission guidelines,” it said.