The 2016 University and Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), began on Saturday in many states of Nigeria.

In Edo state it is being held in 19 centres including Benin city, the capital, amidst tight security.

At many of the centres, men of the Police Force and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were present.

The Police and the NSCDC jointly deployed a total of 167 officers to various centres across the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Abiodun Osifo and the NSCDC Spokesman, Mr Efosa Ogbebor, who both spoke to NAN, said that they provided 101 and 68 personnel respectively to ensure peaceful conduct of the examination.

They said that the personnel would be on ground throughout the six days the examination would last.

They said that unlike the hitches that followed the conduct of the Computer Based Test (CBT) UTME in 2015 that of 2016 would be devoid of such hitches this year.

Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) began full CBT in 2015 following the success recorded in the pilot phase 2014.

The 2016 CBT would take place in all accredited centres across the federation and eight centres outside the country.