"FAKE NEWS ALERT" - WAEC Disowns List of 50 Schools with Withheld WASSCE Results

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has warned the public against a fake letter circulating online, describing it as a forged document that did not originate from the examination body.

The council issued the disclaimer on Wednesday through its official X account after the letter gained attention on social media.

"FAKE NEWS ALERT: Please disregard the message below. It did not originate from WAEC," the council said.

The viral document falsely claimed that WAEC had withheld the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results of candidates from 50 secondary schools over alleged examination malpractice.

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It further instructed the affected schools to submit reports within 14 days or face additional sanctions.

To give the impression of authenticity, the forged letter carried WAEC's logo, letterhead and official-looking stamps. It was also falsely signed in the name of the Head of the Nigeria National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut.

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The document, dated August 2, 2026, listed dozens of schools from different parts of the country, including Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

WAEC dismissed the claims by publishing the letter on its official X page with a bold red "FAKE" mark across the document, stressing that it never issued such a directive.

The clarification followed the release of the 2026 WASSCE results for school candidates earlier on Wednesday.

While announcing the results, the council confirmed that some candidates' results had indeed been withheld, but not in the manner suggested by the fake letter.

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According to WAEC, the results of 167,486 candidates, representing 8.59 per cent of the 1,950,726 candidates who sat the examination, were withheld over suspected examination malpractice.

The council said the affected cases involve offences such as the use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating in some schools, adding that investigations are ongoing before final decisions are taken.

WAEC also disclosed that supervisors and invigilators found to have aided examination malpractice have been arrested and will be sanctioned through the appropriate state ministries of education.

You can also read: 2026 WASSCE: WAEC Withholds 167,486 WASSCE Results Over Alleged Malpractice