The Commissioner for Education in Anambra State, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, has adopted the embattled student of Anglican Girls Secondary School, Nnewi, Mmesoma Ejikeme.
The young lady confessed to tampering with her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), result to emerge with the highest score.
While speaking in Awka on Saturday, the commissioner said she adopted Mmesoma to help her actualize her dreams in life.
Mmesoma stirred reactions in Nigeria after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) accused her of manipulating her UTME score from 249 to 362, and falsely parading herself as UTME highest scorer for 2023.
The development saw the examination body slam a three-year ban on Mmesoma to serve as a deterrent to others after investigating her.
Chuma-Udeh while receiving an award in her office revealed that she adopted Mmesoma to see her through school.
She said: “Mmesoma is not the first person I am adopting. Even as a lecturer, I was adopting children and training them through schools.
“Mmesoma is doing very well and she is still undergoing a psychotherapy class with the state-appointed psychotherapist.
“I decided to adopt her to help her actualize her dreams. She is a human being, so we cannot throw her away just like that.
“We are not going to let her down. We are still pleading with JAMB to reconsider its decision concerning her.
“Governor Chukwuma Soludo is very passionate about every citizen in Anambra State and so, we will train her through her education.”