NECO Questions Sold for N3,000 Before Exams, Alleges Education Minister

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has raised fresh concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s examination system, alleging that National Examinations Council (NECO) examination questions were previously obtained and sold to candidates for as little as N3,000 before the examinations.

Alausa made the disclosure on Thursday, September 3, 2026, during a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and other stakeholders in the education sector.

The Minister described the scale of examination malpractice in the Country as “mind-boggling”, warning that the longstanding tolerance of cheating, question leakages and other forms of malpractice had created an unfair environment for students who genuinely prepared for their examinations.

Global Mirror News gathered that Alausa warned that the situation could have a damaging effect beyond the immediate examination process, as hardworking students could eventually be encouraged to cheat in order to compete with candidates who had gained access to examination materials ahead of time.

“It’s sad. Before she and I came, the acceptance of examination malpractice, cheating and examination leakages in this Country was mind-boggling, and the country accepted it. It was a nightmare,” the Minister said.

He added that one of the major dangers was that honest students could eventually become involved in malpractice because they would feel disadvantaged when competing against candidates who had access to leaked questions.

“The danger was that the good students would also become bad,” Alausa said, explaining that a student who had worked hard could lose an opportunity to another candidate who had obtained examination materials in advance.

How Questions Were Allegedly Sold for N3,000

Recounting his experience in the fight against examination malpractice, Alausa alleged that examination questions had previously been circulated and sold before candidates sat for the papers.

He referred to the period when Ibrahim Wushishi served as Registrar of NECO, saying a name associated with the former registrar was allegedly used in connection with an illicit online channel through which examination questions could be obtained.

According to the Minister, people seeking the leaked materials could allegedly access the platform and purchase questions before the examination for N3,000.

“The Registrar of NECO at the time had a name. His name was Wushishi. You would go to Wushishi… I didn’t know that Wushishi meant going to the dark website,” he said.

“They bought his question for N3,000. That was it. Before the examination. They called him Wushishi and bought the questions for N3,000 before the examination.”

The Minister’s allegation has drawn renewed attention to the security of examination materials and the activities of individuals who may attempt to compromise public examinations for financial gain.

2025 Examination Period Was a ‘Nightmare’

Alausa also recalled what he described as one of the most difficult periods of his tenure during the 2025 examination season, when he allegedly received examination questions before candidates were due to sit for the relevant papers.

He said the situation became so serious that officials had to verify the materials with examination authorities to establish whether the questions were genuine.

According to him, some of the questions sent to him were eventually confirmed to be the exact questions scheduled for candidates to answer that day.

“During that examination period, during the hardest time of my life, I was always worried, waking up. I would wake up to her text. She would send questions to me… She would say, ‘I just got this question,’” Alausa recalled.

He said the questions could be from subjects including English and Chemistry, adding that he would forward the materials to the relevant examination officials for confirmation.

“It could be English or Chemistry. I was always waking up with trepidation every morning, doing work. I would send it to the HNO and ask, ‘HNO, is this correct?’ And the answer I got was, ‘Unfortunately, that’s the question we’re doing today,’” he said.

Alausa explained that the experience prompted a more aggressive response because officials were able to compare the allegedly leaked questions with the official examination materials and establish that some of them matched.

Alausa: Students Are Not the Only Ones to Blame

The Minister stressed that examination malpractice should not be treated solely as a problem caused by students.

He argued that the wider education ecosystem, including parents, school proprietors, teachers, principals and invigilators, must accept responsibility for protecting the integrity of examinations.

“You might be in that isolated school, but the school system is also involved. In fact, I don’t blame the students that much. Any child can be bad,” he said.

According to Alausa, the problem becomes more serious when adults who are expected to enforce examination rules allegedly become involved in facilitating malpractice.

“But when we have an ecosystem where parents, schools, teachers, invigilators and principals are in full connivance, the students are the smallest players. The people who should put the deterrents in place are the ones involved,” he said.

FG Moves to Tighten Examination Controls

The Minister said the Federal Government would strengthen measures designed to protect the credibility of public examinations and ensure that academic qualifications genuinely reflect students’ knowledge, abilities and academic performance.

Alausa linked the measures to the broader education reforms of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that the Government would not allow practices capable of undermining the Country’s examination system to continue unchecked.

“What are we doing? Desecrating the Nigerian system? It won’t happen. Not under the watch of this President,” he said.

“This is a Country with rule of law. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is transforming this country in a way that’s never been transformed before. This is Nigeria renaissance that we’re building to be sustainable into the future.”

Minister of State Backs Serialised Questions

Also speaking at the meeting, the Minister of State for Education, Prof Suwaiba Ahmad, called on private school proprietors and other stakeholders to support the Federal Government’s efforts to strengthen examination integrity.

Ahmad explained that stricter examination controls could initially expose weaknesses among students who had become accustomed to relying on leaked questions rather than preparing adequately for examinations.

She said the introduction of serialised examination questions would make it more difficult for candidates to depend on leaked materials and help restore confidence in the examination process.

The Minister of State also urged schools to ensure that their curricula were completed within the stipulated timeframe and encouraged students to maintain consistent study habits ahead of external examinations.

The renewed Government push comes amid longstanding concerns over question-paper leakages, impersonation, collusion and unauthorised assistance during public examinations.

Global Mirror News gathered that the Federal Government’s position is that stronger examination controls are necessary to ensure that results from public examinations remain credible and that certificates awarded to candidates accurately represent their knowledge and abilities.

The latest disclosure has therefore placed renewed focus on the responsibility of every stakeholder in the education sector to protect the examination process, with the government insisting that academic success must be based on genuine preparation and merit rather than access to leaked examination materials.