Abuja, Nigeria – May 31, 2025 – The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for an urgent and thorough investigation by the National Assembly into the recent failings of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), describing the conduct of recent national examinations as a disgrace to Nigeria’s education system and a violation of students’ rights.
The NBA, in a joint statement signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, condemned the “institutional failures” that have marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Suicide, System Breach Rock JAMB Exams
The controversy began when JAMB released the results of the 2025 UTME, prompting widespread complaints from students and parents over irregular scores.
Tragedy struck when a 19-year-old candidate, Miss Timilehin Faith Opesusi, reportedly committed suicide after receiving a poor result.
In a subsequent press briefing, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, admitted that the board’s computer systems had been hacked and compromised, leading to the cancellation of results for 379,997 candidates across 157 examination centres in Lagos and the South-East.
WAEC Accused of Gross Mismanagement
WAEC, currently administering the 2025 WASSCE nationwide, is facing its own crisis. For the first time in Nigeria’s history, students were forced to sit examinations late into the night, under unsafe and undignified conditions.
On May 28, the English Language Paper 2 and 3, scheduled for 4:00 PM, reportedly began around 7:00 PM in several states. In many centres, students wrote exams in dark classrooms, using torchlights and phone flashlights due to lack of power supply. Some invigilators were also seen using their phone lights to conduct the exercise.
“This is a shocking breach of the students’ right to dignity and proper academic conduct,” the NBA stated. “WAEC did not advertise that its exams would be held at night or under such primitive conditions.”
Building Collapse in Taraba Raises Alarm
In a particularly harrowing incident, a classroom at Government Secondary School, Namnai, in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, collapsed while students were still writing their examination at around 6:00 PM.
Though no lives were lost, several students, teachers, and invigilators were trapped in the rubble. They were later rescued by community members, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals.
NBA: This Is a Constitutional Breach
The NBA decried the silence of the Federal Ministry of Education, which supervises both JAMB and WAEC, and accused it of dereliction of duty.
The association further described the conduct of the examinations as a violation of Sections 34 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantee the right to dignity and freedom to receive information and knowledge.
“The students had no agreement with WAEC to sit for exams in darkness. Any examination conducted under such conditions is already compromised and amounts to a breach of trust and fundamental rights,” the NBA declared.
National Assembly Urged to Take Immediate Action
In conclusion, the NBA demanded that the Senate and House of Representatives set up a joint investigative committee to probe the lapses in the conduct of the 2025 UTME and WASSCE.
The Association insists that those responsible for the chaos must be held accountable, warning that failure to act could result in even more disastrous outcomes in the future.
“The absence of consequences will only encourage further disregard for educational standards and human dignity,” the statement warned.
“Nigeria’s future must not be gambled away through institutional recklessness.”
Kindly find attached:
NBA STATEMENT ON THE JAMB AND WAEC FIASCO
MAZI AFAM OSIGWE, SAN
President, Nigerian Bar Association
DR. MOBOLAJI OJIBARA
General Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association
Read More:
NBA-ICLE Urges Lawyers to Sign Up for Access to MCPD Resources and CPD Tracking
