Students in parts of Benue State were forced to take their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the dark, relying on phone torches and lanterns to complete the objective section of their English paper on Wednesday night.
The ordeal began after the students had finished writing the essay component, only to be left waiting for hours for the exam officer to arrive with the objective section.
This is after the Federal Ministry of Education said it has commenced an immediate investigation into a similar incident at Unity Secondary School in Asaba, Delta State, where students sat for an examination under poor lighting conditions, reportedly using torchlights due to a power outage.
The incident, which was captured on video and shared on social media, shows students sitting for the exam in a poorly lit classroom with a torchlight providing the only source of light.
The ministry had described the incident as “totally unacceptable” and has pledged to work with the Delta State Government and WAEC to investigate the matter and take corrective action.
Reports say the delay for the examination in Benue State lasted until around 8-9 pm in some centres, which pushed the exam completion time to as late as 11 pm.
A student from Ogbadibo Local Government Area, who wished to remain anonymous, described the experience: “We waited for hours after finishing the essay. When the exam officer finally arrived, we had to use our phone lights and lanterns to write the objective section. It was incredibly stressful.”
Another student expressed frustration, saying, “The exam officer didn’t provide any reasonable explanation for the delay. He just handed out the papers without apologizing or explaining why he was late.”
The situation sparked widespread panic among parents, many of whom rushed to the schools upon hearing that their children were still taking exams late into the night. A visibly distraught parent in Owukpa told DAILY POST, “This is a national embarrassment. How can children be forced to take exams in the dark, in such a hazardous environment? Is this how we want to shape the future of Nigeria?”
According to reports, a local community leader in Owukpa arranged accommodation for the exam officer, who was unable to return home due to security concerns in the area.
“We had no choice but to let him stay overnight. It was already past 11 pm, and no one ventures out at that hour in this part of the country. The government needs to step in,” the community leader said.
Sources revealed that the issue wasn’t limited to Ogbadibo, with some schools reportedly unable to take the objective section at all and expected to do so the following morning.
A teacher from one of the affected schools expressed concern, saying, “This kind of irregularity puts the integrity of the examination at risk. We expect WAEC to address this issue and take immediate corrective measures.”
