17 arrested for forging IDs to take exams at Tanzania Open University

Dar es Salaam. Open University of Tanzania (OUT) officials have apprehended 17 individuals attempting to impersonate registered students during exams.

The impostors used forged university IDs and exam hall tickets to gain access to exam halls.

The university identified and apprehended the suspects between June 18 and 24, 2024, at exam centres in the Ilala and Kinondoni districts of Dar es Salaam.

Prof Elifas Bisanda, OUT's Vice Chancellor, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued by the university's Communications Department on June 28, 2024. He emphasised the seriousness of the offence, stating that forging university IDs and exam credentials is a criminal act and they will be prosecuted accordingly.

The arrested individuals are not OUT students, but come from other institutions and are professionals in various fields.

Prof Bisanda stated that the university's exams, held from July 3 to 24, saw 10,417 students sitting for their exams in 53 centres across the nation.

He emphasised that the vigilant examination monitoring system enabled the capture of the impostors, particularly at the Ilala and Kinondoni centres in Dar es Salaam, with most incidents occurring from June 18 onwards.

A third-year OUT student, who sought to remain anonymous, recounted witnessing one of the impostors being apprehended by the invigilator in the exam room and attempting to flee.

"We saw the commotion as the invigilator confiscated the fake ID. The suspect tried to escape through the window but was restrained by four invigilators," the student said.

Regarding the consequences for those who hired the impostors, Prof Bisanda stated that the university has examination rules and regulations that will be applied to handle the situation.

 "The university authorities will interrogate the suspects, and if found guilty, they will be punished according to the regulations," he added.

Prof Bisanda expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing police investigation, noting that national security officers witnessed the impersonation attempts firsthand.

He said he had submitted a report to the Police Headquarters, Office of the Inspector General of Police, and the President's Office for swift action.

To prevent such incidents in the future, Prof Bisanda noted that OUT is preparing to register all students using fingerprint technology to ensure the identification of each examinee through specialised fingerprint recognition devices at all exam centres.

He highlighted that OUT has built an international reputation for its robust exam security system.

"The university has utilized its IT experts to develop an exam system that makes it extremely difficult for exam leaks. Even the lecturers who teach specific subjects do not know which questions their students will be asked.

“They only see the questions after the students have completed the exam, and then they prepare to mark them," he explained.