The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has confirmed the arrest of seven individuals, including invigilators and teachers, for alleged involvement in examination malpractice during the ongoing 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, disclosed that the arrests were made across three regions — Central, Bono, and Ashanti. Three suspects were arrested in the Central Region, two in the Bono Region, and two in the Ashanti Region.
According to Mr. Kapi, five of the suspects were caught with mobile phones in examination halls, which were allegedly used to photograph examination questions and circulate them on WhatsApp platforms. Some suspects reportedly used ChatGPT to generate answers, which were then dictated to candidates.
The two remaining suspects, though not found with mobile phones, were also deeply involved in the malpractice. One was caught distributing prepared answers to candidates, while the other was arrested for allegedly duplicating answer sheets for circulation.
WAEC said all seven suspects have been handed over to the police for further investigations and possible prosecution.
Expressing concern over the rising incidents, Mr. Kapi attributed the malpractice to monetary incentives. “I think they are enticed by monetary considerations; otherwise, I wouldn’t understand why anybody would want to do this even after all the warnings,” he said.
WAEC reiterated its warning to candidates, invigilators, supervisors, and the general public to desist from any form of examination malpractice. The Council stressed that offenders risk having their results cancelled and facing full prosecution.