The Federal Government has uncovered a thriving dark-web marketplace where National Examinations Council (NECO) question papers were sold for as low as N3,000 before exams.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the shocking disclosure on Thursday during a high-level stakeholder meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and education officials in Abuja. Describing the scale of the syndicate as "mind-boggling," Alausa revealed that the illicit trade went by the street code "Wushishi"—an apparent reference to the dark web platforms used by racketeers to compromise exam integrity.

The Minister lamented that deep-rooted collusion among parents, teachers, and school principals had created an unfair academic environment. This systemic corruption, he warned, actively disadvantages students who study honestly and threatens to push them into malpractice just to compete.

"Before we came, the acceptance of examination malpractice, cheating, and leakages in this country was a nightmare," Alausa said. "I don’t blame the students that much. When you have an ecosystem where parents, schools, teachers, invigilators, and principals are in full connivance, the students are the smallest players."

Alausa recounted his grueling experience during the 2025 examination cycle, revealing that he and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, regularly intercepted leaked English and Chemistry papers at dawn.

"I was always waking up with trepidation every morning," the Minister shared. "She would send questions to me... I would send it to the exam authorities and ask, ‘Is this correct?’ And the answer I got was, ‘Unfortunately, that’s the question we’re doing today.’"

To combat the cartel, the Ministry of Education is rolling out aggressive institutional reforms under President Bola Tinubu`s education renaissance agenda.

Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad announced that the government will introduce serialized examination questions to neutralize leakages. She warned that tighter controls might initially cause a drop in the superficial high performance of some schools, exposing students who previously relied on leaked materials. Ahmad urged private proprietors to complete their curricula early and foster a culture of genuine merit.