Seventy-seven per cent of the 1,842,464 candidates whose 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results were released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Monday scored less than 200.

Giving a breakdown of the results of the 1,842,464 candidates released, the Board’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede noted that, “8,401 candidates scored 300 and above; 77,070 scored 250 and above; 439,974 scored 200 and above while 1,402,490 scored below 200.”

The Board is expected to announce the minimum benchmark for the 2024/2025 academic session admissions during its policy meeting to be held at a later date.

Over the years the benchmark for admissions to universities has hovered around 180 to 200.

Oloyede also gave the new format for acceptance of admissions.

He said, “ Either a candidate sends ACCEPT/REJECT on his dedicated phone line to 55019/66019, or a candidate accepts or rejects any admission offer (programme change inclusive) with his/her fingerprint (biometric) at an accredited CBT centre or any JAMB Office.

“The above newly-crafted methods of accepting or rejecting admissions, are aimed at protecting the details of the candidates and upholding the sanctity of the admission process.

“With this new method, the candidates’ registered phone (SIM) is now more important than ever as it is now required to perform even more sensitive operations. We are in discussions with NCC on dedicated student’s SIM with restricted services.”

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) says plans are underway to extradite Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance regional manager for Africa, to Nigeria for prosecution.

Garba Umar, vice president of Interpol (Africa) executive committee, spoke on Tuesday during Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.

Anjarwalla and Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, were charged with tax evasion and money laundering by the federal government.

The duo were arrested and detained on February 28.

However, on March 22, Anjarwalla escaped from a guest house in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, where he and Tigran Gambaryan, his colleague, had been kept by the federal government.

Anjarwalla was said to have escaped after guards led him to a nearby mosque for prayers in the spirit of the Ramadan fast.

The Binance regional manager, who is said to hold British and Kenyan citizenship, reportedly fled Nigeria with a passport from the East African country.

Last week, reports suggesting that the Kenya Police had arrested Anjarwalla surfaced.

The Interpol official did not confirm the reports but noted that Kenya is where the fleeing crypto chief was last seen.

“I’m not aware but what I can tell you is that the last destination I know on my record of this guy when he fled (Nigeria) was Kenya. That I can confirm to you,” Umar said.

Umar added that Interpol has contacted all countries where Anjarwalla was believed to have transited and “we got some certain information which is not possible to share on this platform”.

“Rest assured, we located where he was, how he boarded, all information about him and how he landed. We have done that to make sure that he doesn’t escape justice,” he added.

Umar added that the Binance executive will be returned to Nigeria to face trial once a red notice has been issued and circulated to concerned countries.

“Now, it is not only morally right but it is legally right for the country to get him apprehended, inform the requesting country that ‘the fugitive you are looking for has been apprehended and is in our custody. Can you come and take him over?’” Umar said.

“This is the process. He may be in Kenya, he may be in hiding, he might have even left Kenya but because of the notices we have given, wherever he is, he will be smoked out.”

Gambaryan is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after his court arraignment.

Recently, Yuki, Gambaryan’s wife, appealed to the federal government to release her husband, saying he had no influence on Binance’s corporate decisions.

The upper legislative chamber, on Tuesday, experienced a rowdy session after three senators engaged in a heated debate.

Danjuma Goje, senator representing Gombe central, and Sahabi Yau, senator representing Zamfara north, expressed displeasure over the seats assigned to them, and complained to Opeyemi Bamidele, majority leader.

The senate is using its refurbished chamber, two years after renovation began on it.

According to the standing rules of the upper legislative chamber, senators should sit in order of rank.

The senate’s Easter and Sallah recess was postponed to accommodate the completion of the renovation of both chambers of the national assembly.

However, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio read his welcome address, the heated argument among the three senators began.

It was learnt that Goje and Yau, sitting on the second row on the right side of the aisle, did not like the seats allocated to them by the senate committee on services.

Sunday Karimi, senator representing Kogi west, is chair of the senate services committee.

The four-term senators subsequently insisted that they should have been assigned seats on the front row on the extreme right — opposite the row of the majority leader and the deputy senate president.

After the argument, Kawu Sumaila, senator representing Kano south, called for a “point of order” which was ignored.

Thereafter, Bamidele moved a motion for a closed-session.