Alleged UTME fraud: Innoson to conduct independent probe on Mmesoma Ejikeme

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) has said it would conduct an independent investigation into the allegations of certificate forgery against Mmesoma Ejikeme who is celebrated as the top scorer of the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Spokesman of Innoson Group Cornel Osigwe stated this in a tweet on Monday following his claim that Ms Ejikeme could not have manipulated her result.

“We’re doing our independent investigation on the issue of manipulation, if we found that the girl willfully manipulated her result, we shall withdraw the scholarship, but if we observe she is innocent of the accusation, then the scholarship stands, whether she is the best or not,” Mr Osigwe wrote.

We’re doing our independent investigation on the issue of manipulation, if we found that the girl willfully manipulated her result, we shall withdraw the scholarship, but if we observe she is innocent of the accusation, then the scholarship stands, whether she is the best or not.

— Cornel Osigwe (@cornelosigwe) July 3, 2023

Osigwe had on Sunday tweeted, “The girl I met doesn’t have the brain and capacity to manipulate her result. There is more to this story. A proper investigation needs to be done. Abeg let the poor breath.

“That girl was one of the most brilliant in her school, according to the Principal, her parents couldn’t even afford to pay for her WAEC and NECO Exams. Of what advantage will it offer her to manipulate her JAMB score? Let the poor breathe pls.”

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) chided Ejikeme in a statement released on Sunday evening, claiming that she manually inflated her UTME result from 249 to 362 and used her inflated score to attract a N3 million scholarship from Innoson Motors, and was set to be awarded by the Anambra State Government.

The board said Ejikeme would be prosecuted and her original result withdrawn.